The Advocate
Prior to the pandemic there were quite a number of services and facilities available to students on campus. As the college has continued to reopen, so too have a number of these facilities including the aquatics center and soon the indoor rock wall. Both of these examples are located in a far corner of the campus where a number of students have likely yet to step foot. However, there is a another facility on campus which has yet to reopen that almost every student currently taking in-person classes has walked right passed: the Planetarium.
The Planetarium is located directly beneath the library, and by extension the testing center and the tutoring center. Prior to the pandemic, the Planetarium had shows approximately twice a month from September to June, all of which were done between 6 and 7:15 pm. The shows covered a wide
On Tuesday, Nov. 22 – just last week – I was in class in the Integrated Media department late at night with a number of classmates. At around 9 p.m. the emergency alarms began going off. Somewhere on campus someone had pulled one of the alarms, which meant that all of us had to evacuate.
The evacuation point for much of the MHCC campus is large patch of grass, near Northeast Kane Drive, in front of a number of flagpoles. Integrated Media is on the campus’s first (or lower) floor, accessible from that area via a number of stairs, as well as three elevators.
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Rory Myers
Design Editor
Matana McIntire
News Editor
Hiring – apply today!
Opinion Editor Hiring – apply today!
variety of astronomy subjects which were changed every month with a very reasonable $5 admission fee, making it a fantastic resource for anyone: from those with a passing interest in astronomy, to serious astronomy buffs. On top of this, the planetarium was available to rent for school groups and is located in a very opportune location for schools in the Gresham/Troutdale area and beyond, making it a valuable resource for educators as well.
The Planetarium was closed in March 2020 along with the rest of the MHCC campus, and has remained closed for a variety of reasons of the last few years. The inside is effectively large theater; there are a number of seats lined up similarly to a movie theater and everything was projected onto the domed ceiling. This complicated social distancing, coupled with the maximum capacity of 70 people made it difficult to justify opening. Additionally, the Planetarium was largely operated by one person: Pat Hanrahan,
who is considering retirement. As of right now the only updates of note are that the Planetarium’s fate will be further discussed at some point in 2023 and that Pat is considering staying on as the Planetarium Director, however in a more limited capacity compared to previous years. Hopefully, it will reopen within the coming year as it’s a fantastic resource for the local community.
As it happens, one of my classmates uses a wheelchair. Normally they take one of the elevators from the second level down to the first in order to attend class. The problem here was that all of the elevators are shut down in case of an emergency, and the most direct ways to reach the evacuation site are via sets of stairs – none of which have a wheelchair ramp in sight.
In fact, there are only two wheelchair-accessible methods of going from the first level of the campus to the second, aside from the elevators: Both require traveling to the far ends (north and south) of the campus Academic Center where the sidewalk is sloped uphill to a degree that does not comply with ADA standards, and then looping back around to the flagpoles.
To make matters worse, the evacuation route from our location required us to travel through the section of the campus where the alarm had been pulled – meaning that in order to evacuate, my classmate was required to put themself in danger because they had no other options.
This is a serious problem that has a couple of solutions. The first and easiest would be to designate the parking lots at either end of the Academic Center as additional evacuation points. The other is for MHCC to install proper ramps around campus, which would additionally provide further accessibility for mobility impaired individuals outside of emergency situations.
Sports Editor Hiring – apply today!
Photo Editor Jennifer Wilhoite
Video Editor Hiring – apply today!
Staff Contributors
Kelley Chang
Ashaura Espinoza
Monique Moisoiu
Arianna Perez-Garcia
Martin Kay
Kyle Long
Social Media Managers
Karuna Rai
Arianna Perez-Garcia
Photo Team Martell Meacham
Video Team Jackson Hamelund
Graphic Design Team Bryan Rodriguez
Ad Sales Hiring – apply today!
ADVOCATE-ONLINE.NET
Distribution Specialist Hiring – apply today!
Advisers
Howard Buck
Dan Ernst
As everything else is slowing down for the holidays – people are visiting with friends and family, and eating a few extra desserts – a unique group of athletes is preparing for their annual world championship, where they will use complex dance routines, gymnastics, and a variety of signature moves designed to fascinate and command your attention.
This January, more than 100 professional sign spinners, who have previously qualified from a group of over 2,000, will compete at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas, in an intense three-day tournament to find out who is the best sign spinner in the world.
With more than 25 individual markets throughout the country represented, plus several international markets in Germany, Korea, Australia, Mexico, Panama, and Peru, there is no telling what spectators will see: backflips, costumes, elaborate choreographed dance routines, and sometimes even magic tricks.
Throughout the year, the employees of AArrow Sign Spinners are logging in thousands of practices, performing moves they learn through group clinics and videos they share on an app which they all use to clock in/out of work, track their pay and sign up for shifts. They even have their own secret Facebook groups where they often have spinner battles, like a deleted scene in one of
the “Bring it On” movies.
The event itself is a celebration for everyone, but a few performers will be highlighted on the final stage in Vegas where they can win thousands of dollars in prize money and some other rewards that come with being the best in the world.
Former champions have earned the opportunity to appear in national commercial campaigns, on television shows, and even in a few movies.
Notable spinners this year include Davis Davis, general manager for AArrow in California; Evan Vaughan, formerly a Portland spinner now located in Tennessee; four-time champion Kadeem Johnson, spinning out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
former champion Jacob Mitchell from Denver; Tyler Cartwright from Atlanta; and Alex Kleible, who is traveling from Germany.
Some spinners from Portland and Seattle markets that may be competing include TJ Sims, Chance Jordan, and Tylor Gwin. All competitors mentioned have either won the competition outright or placed in the top ten spaces consistently over the last five years competing in the World Sign Spinning Championship.
After making some bold claims, Davis Davis had a challenging time in his market’s regional competition this year, barely squeaking by to finals and earning a spot in Vegas.
The Advocate is hiring for Winter Term – no experience necessary for paid positions on campus
The Advocate is a fully independent student publication that is funded by your student fees and our own advertising sales. We report on issues that impact the student body online at advocate-online. net and in print around campus.
WHO CAN APPLY:
Any MHCC student can work at the Advocate — no experience necessary!
WHY YOU SHOULD APPLY:
Working with our team is a great opportunity to build your creative portfolio and learn about working in journalism, advertising, and media.
HOW YOU’RE PAID:
For students who qualify for Work Study, wages start at $18 an hour. For students who qualify for tuition waivers, payment is dependent on how many credits you’re enrolled for. To find out what you qualify for, email studentemployment@mhcc.edu
We offer flexible employment shifts, with weekly meeting requirements for Monday at 12 p.m./noon (30 min.) and Tuesday at 12 p.m./noon (1 hour), plus 1-4 hours (dependent on your staff position) each Thursday for print and web production work.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
Come to our weekly staff meetings, Monday and Tuesday, in Room 1369, in the Integrated Media building (13). See how we plan our content and learn how you can contribute.
Advertising Manager
Description: Manage advertising content for the Advocate. Communicate with advertisers, including invoicing, providing proof of publication, and placing orders. Contact local businesses and campus departments to sell advertising. Work with the graphic design team to create ads.
Staff Writer
Description: Work with editorial team to identify stories and print content, and to produce content for the Advocate. Looking for sports writers with an interest in MHCC, local and national sports; news writers with an interest in reporting on MHCC and local news; arts and entertainment writers with an interest in movies, TV, theatre, music, fine art, and more; and opinion writers with an interest in columns, op-eds, and more.
Staff Designer/Artist
Description: Lay out digital and print pages and create illustrations, artwork, and graphics to accompany written content published in the Advocate. Must be available Thursdays to assist Design Editor during print and web production.
Experience with the Adobe creative cloud, specifically InDesign and Illustrator, preferred — Adobe software will be provided to Design Staff.
Description: Photograph and/or capture video of Mt. Hood campus and off-campus events as assigned. Work with editorial team to identify subjects and produce/edit digital content for the Advocate. Familiarity with photo/video equipment and basic editing skills required. Adobe editing software will be provided to photo/video staff.
•
• What kind of student employment you qualify for at
Description: Section Editors are responsible for managing written content for their section. They work with staff writers to source content ideas, assign weekly stories, and coordinate visual content to accompany their section with the design and photo/video teams. All section editors must work together to make editorial decisions regarding the Advocate, and are expected at weekly meetings and Thursday productions.
Opinion Section covers opinion columns, editorials, and more.
News section covers MHCC administration reporting, local news, and more.
Sports section covers MHCC athletics, local sports, and more.
Arianna Perez – Garcia the Advocate
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds (about 3) Yukon gold potatoes, fully peeled
2 ounces unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Filling
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup fresh or frozen black current
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1. Cube the potatoes and cover with water in a medium saucepan. Cover saucepan with lid and heat until water boils.
2. Remove lid and reduce to a simmer until potatoes are easily mashed. Turn heat off, then drain potatoes with colander or strainer, then return to saucepan.
3. Melt butter in microwave. Mash potatoes and mix in butter, salt, and pepper.
4. Coat frying pan with olive oil and set to medium heat. Sauté carrots for about 5 minutes, then lamb, garlic, salt, and pepper.
5. Stir and cook lamb until fully brown. Reduce to simmer and cover for 10 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread lamb mixture evenly on bottom of 11 by 7 baking dish. Mix in peas, black current, Worcestershire sauce, thyme.
7. Layer mashed potatoes on top and smooth with rubber spatula. Bake in oven 25 minutes, cool for 15-20 minutes
1. Slice and toast bread in your over until crisp and golden. Set aside.
2. Set 3/4 cup of balsamic vinegar on stove and bring to a gentle boil, then simmer at a low temperature. Leave to reduce the balsamic until it’s a syrup consistency, around 1-2 hours.
3. While the balsamic simmers, chop your tomatoes into fine pieces and place in a bowl.
Ingredients:
4-5 Roma tomatoes
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp of salt
2 handfuls of fresh basil or 2 tbsp of basil paste
1 French baguette
1 cup balsamic vinegar, reduced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1. Begin with putting a tray full of water inside the oven at 350 degrees
Ingredients:
2 cups of sugar
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of condensed milk
1 packet of cream cheese
5 eggs
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
Ingredients:
1 can of Teasdale white hominy
1 peeled onion
1 head of garlic
Salt
4. Once chopped, mix the salt into your bowl of tomatoes, and add the minced garlic. Set in fridge for a least 30 minutes to sweat - the salt will bring out the sweet flavors of the tomatoes. 5. Set your balsamic reduction aside to cool.
6. Add your chopped basil or paste into the tomatoes mix.
7. Add half or less of your reduction to the tomatoes, the remaining into a squeeze bottle.
8. Add olive oil and 1/4 cup of reduced balsamic to tomatoes.
9. Plate your bruschetta by serving the tomato mix on top of your baguette rounds and reduction drizzled on top.
1 spoonful of Oregano
7-8 Bay leaves
Pork meat to your liking
2. Next put a pan on medium heat and add 2 cups of sugar to melt. This part can take a while. The sugar is ready when it is a light brown color and fully melted.
3. Once the sugar is melted you add it to a baking container like a fluted tube mold.
4. In a blender add 1 can of evaporated milk, 1 can of condensed milk, 1 cream cheese packet, 5 eggs and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
5. Finally, you blend these ingredients for 4 minutes and add it to the fluted tube mold. Put aluminum foil to cover it. Then you can put the tube mold into the tray inside the oven. Leave the flan to cook for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Enjoy this desert on its own or add berries as a topping to serve!
First, have a large pot filled with water about halfway on the stove on medium high heat. Next use a large strainer to wash the hominy. Once the hominy is washed it is ready to be in the pot. Immediately after the hominy makes it in the pot, add 1 peeled onion and 1 head of garlic into the pot.
Next, wash the pork meat with salt thoroughly and add it to the pot.
After, one hour of cooking and you notice the ingredients boiling, you should be using a large cooking spoon to add the oregano and 7-8 bay leaves.
Finally, once everything has been boiling for more than 2 hours you add salt. Once again use a large cooking spoon to add salt. Taste the broth to see if you will need to add another spoonful or less. Use a fork to check if the pork meat is ready. If the pork meat comes apart it means its ready!
Serve the pozole with toppings like crushed chile peppers, more oregano, sliced avocados and lime. I suggest a cold Coke drink to accompany your steaming hot pozole. Enjoy!
to your liking (you will have to be tasting the pozole while it is cooking!)
Winter break is quickly approaching for students and staff at Mt. Hood Community College. During this time, it starts feeling like we are pushing through even more with school, work, and life.
I hope we can find some rest and comfort soon. That could possibly be found in many holiday events the Portland metro area has to offer. There are plenty experiences to enjoy, from music, theatre, shopping, and fluorescent light walk- throughs during December and into the new year!
Peacock Lane Lights begin Dec. 15 and run through Dec. 31. There are car-free nights Dec. 15, 16 and 17. This street in Southeast Portland showcases houses decorated with different seasonal characters and lights. Such a sight to see!
Peacock Lane Lights begin Dec. 15 and run through Dec. 31. There are car-free nights Dec. 15, 16 and 17. This street in Southeast Portland showcases houses decorated with different seasonal characters and lights. Such a sight to see!
“Elf” in concert, presented by the Oregon Symphony Dec. 17-18 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland. This holiday film can now be watched as a live performance! Tickets start at $35.
The Gresham Historical Society continues its annual Christmas at the Museum event! Visit the Gresham Historical Museum 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays–Saturdays, or noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $5 per person. Check out the holiday decorations, and you could even vote in the competition for best gingerbread house and maybe see Santa Claus, too.
NAYA Native Made Market Place pop-up events have multiple dates, running on Dec. 3-4, Dec. 10-11, and Dec. 17-18, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 4636 NE 42nd Ave. in Portland. We can support Native youth and communities shopping at
George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” at Keller Auditorium in Portland, running Dec. 9–24. Tickets are at $15 and up. Consider attending this classic and wonderful performance presented by the Oregon Ballet Theatre.
The popular nightime Christmas Ship Parades begin Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. on the Columbia River, near the North Portland Harbor. The parades, which run with both Willamette and Columbia river fleets, end Dec. 21. They’re a Northwest tradition where boats are decorated with lights and adornments.
My intention for this article was a “hate review,” the whole reason I took it on – the reason being that I can’t stand the acting style of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. I have always thought he’s overrated as an actor.
I still believe that, but not based on his performance in “Black Adam,” the surprisingly adequate movie where the bodybuilder and actor, “The Rock,” is finally a superhero.
The best part of this movie are the scenes with action, which is basically the whole movie. The plot, to me, is weak: In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam is bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned,
becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years have passed, and Black Adam has gone from man to myth to legend. Now free, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern-day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone.
In this movie, Black Adam is awakened by three people who appear to be smugglers, one of them being an expert on the history of Teth Adam. Her goal is to free her people from the rule of the Egyptian military. To awaken Black Adam, she travels to the cave in which he was imprisoned to invisibly and utters the word “Shazam.” Before seeing this action-packed film, I had no clue that Black Adam’s powered were related to that of Shazam’s: another DC superhero with the same powers, Black
Adam is the predecessor to Shazam, hence the word “Shazam” must be uttered for Black Adam to regain his powers and use them.
Black Adam is summoned to take back rule over the kingdom he was made to oversee, but is hesitant to do so; he doesn’t want to be the hero. The movie is filled with his battles against the Justice Society, which eventually evolves to them teaming up to defeat the ultimate villain of the film, Sabbac.
In short, this film had great action, a plot with potential, and a performance by “The Rock” that was thrilling and well-executed – but possibly because he was silent for most of the film and simply had to destroy people and take rule over his kingdom. And, any DC fan can appreciate a good action film.
With the COVID pandemic finally easing up, the MHCC Clay Club is back in full production again this year for its annual holiday ceramics sale, coming during the last week of Fall Term classes.
Headed by Mt. Hood’s ceramics director, John Hasegawa, club members can boast collective pottery experience of 50 years or more. The goods they make are top-notch and often very intricate, and part of the sales proceeds go back to the club to assist young ceramics students, as well as those art students who have an interest and are invited to participate in arranged workshops that are free to all, he said.
The Clay Club sale runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 5-8 (Monday through Thursday), in the Visual Arts Gallery (Building 19).
Hasegawa, who has led Mt. Hood’s ceramics program for five years and teaching the craft for about 17 years, noted the Clay Club is student-run.
“Everyone is welcomed to participate in the (holiday) sale and in what we do,” he said. “Part of the reason we have the is club is to keep our students interested” with the workshops and such, he added.
The sales proceeds help with hiring a few highly regarded artists to teach techniques and tricks to newer members, Hasegawa said. An example is Martha Grover, a well-respected ceramics artist from Massachusetts. She specializes in intricately created porcelain pieces she sells on her website.
Another share of the sale proceeds goes to buying new and updated equipment for the final process of producing students’ finished pieces, such as purchasing wood for their wood-fueled kiln.
Things we as a society take for granted – such as standard plates and other dishes bought from our local supermarket – take a lot of passion and labor, when done manually. Clay is something that’s inanimate but is also highly shapeable and at times has a mind and/or life of its own. Tricks and techniques are key to manipulating the clay to shape and mold to one’s liking.
There are at least three steps to the finished ceramics product: The shaping, or what the Clay Club members call “throwing”; then, the drying, painting or glazing stage; and finally, the kiln or “firing” stage.
Club member Donna Dish explained the process of the last stage of pottery.
There are three types of kiln: electric, gas, and wood. Dish said electric kilns are the most
commonly used (which are fired by oxidation, and so oxygen is present, which produces a consistent product). There are gas kilns, in which there’s no oxidation and so an inconsistent product might result. Then there are wood-burning kilns, a technique that’s been used for thousands of years and that has a certain effect from their smoke which makes each piece of pottery unique.
“What goes in is mud and what comes out is vitrified glass,” said Dish. “You can’t control everything in the kiln, you have to let things unfold on its own. That’s where the magic happens.”
Dish has retired from fighting real fires for a living and has been doing pottery most of her adult life. She began at age 17 and has been throwing right up to today. Dish is one of the veteran throwers in the current MHCC ceramics class and is more than willing to teach other students the tricks and her knowledge of the craft. She said she decided to take ceramics at Mt. Hood because of its notable
instructors and people surrounding the program.
“It’s prestigious and an honor to be a part of this program,” Dish said.
Among other members of the club that do exceptionally well are the Aho sisters, Ellie and Aubrie. With less than a year of throwing their pieces, their work appears at the level of someone who’s been doing it for years.
Both sisters have 4.0 grade point averages, with Aubrie majoring in welding technology and Ellie
majoring in business management. They plan on moving on next fall to Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Oregon (on the Oregon-Idaho border, about 50 miles from Boise). TVCC is a well-accredited farm and avionics school, where Aubrie plans on getting her commercial pilot’s license while Ellie plans on getting her degree in equine management. All told, the sisters demonstrate many talents and little-to-no flaws. Much like, one could say, a wellcrafted ceramic piece.
The Advocate
Through April 9, 2023, OMSI’s “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes” exhibition will be open and there for all Marvel fans to see. Even as someone who is not the biggest Marvel fan but still appreciates that universe, I enjoyed seeing the original suits of many of our favorite Marvel heroes and villains. A few favorites on hand were some that are displayed here: The Scarlet Witch, Spiderman (as worn by Tom Holland), Star-Lord and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy, and Falcon, along with the famous Captain
America’s iconic shield.
An additional item that is placed at the beginning of this maze of Marvel is a wall in memory of our dear Stan Lee, creator of the Marvel Universe. There are many more intriguing displays, including a full-room setup from the “WandaVision show,” and a full room dedicated to “Doctor Strange,” filled with mirrors and pieces from the movies.
All-in-all, this exhibit is fun and makes the already existing Marvel experience even better by allowing us to see the inner workings of their production and the behindthe-scenes aspects of many of our favorite Marvel heroes.
The Advocate
It’s that time of year, the time for holiday cheer – a time of giving and receiving, of holiday spirit, honoring religious beliefs – and of celebrating the start of the new year.
What does Christmas mean to you? Or in the case of other religions and beliefs, say, Kwanza or Hannukah, during this time?
For some, it’s a sense of newness and generous spending. For others, it’s a season of renewal, illumination, and festive activity. And then there is love, romance, and friendships, or for some of us, more along the lines
din of both enemy and friendly fire. Slowly as the soldier continued, the barrage of deathly artillery and small arms fire began to cease their assault on each side.
The soldiers on both sides of the battlefield just sat quietly in their trenches or foxholes and listened to the lone soldier singing his carol. When he finished, there was nothing but silence. They were no longer enemies, just ordinary men remembering that it was Christmas. At that same moment, a German soldier got out of his trench and stood facing the French soldiers, and started singing his own carol.
As he finished all the soldiers from both armies began clapping. For just a moment there was no war, just the emotion of Christmas joy and the Christmas spirit.
For a brief period in the middle of widespread death and destruction, Christmas had touched two bitter rivals’ hearts. In a brief instant in that hell, there was peace and goodwill among brothers.
don’t have to be totally enslaved by your own environment.” - Amanda Palmer
Approaching this holiday season I asked some of the staff and faculty at MHCC to tell us what is the meaning of Christmas or any holiday they celebrate – and what do they have to be thankful for?
Vicki Trujillo – Coordinator, Integrated Metals:
“When I think of Christmas I think of birthdays (my daughters) and spending time with family and friends.”
Jenny Menke – Learning specialist, AVID/Learning Success Center:
“Christmas is a time for me to slow down and reflect on the things I’m thankful for.”
David Strohl – Head of Integrated Media photography department:
“What the holidays mean to me is a time of rest, to enjoy friends and family, and of reflection on the previous year.”
Cherish Lyda – Writing tutor, 1451 computer lab:
“For me, Hannukah is a special time to gather with family, remember everything the Lord has done, and rededicate my life to him.”
Virginia Olson – Career planning and counseling specialist (in the Veterans Center)
“What Christmas means to me is spending time with family, watching holiday movies, and eating great food.”
of heartbreak, sorrow, sentiment, and reminiscing.
Whatever your mood this holiday season, for many of us it’s a time of reflection on the year that’s passing. To personally explain what the holiday season means to me, I take you back to 1914, over 100 years ago, on the battlefields of Europe.
On a cold Christmas Eve night, German and French troops were entrenched on the French front lines of World War I. Although cold, dark, and muddy, with two opposing armies trying to destroy each other, a miracle would happen that was stranger than anything written in fiction.
In an unforgettable moment, the destructive weapons and artillery stopped still, leaving utter silence – where a split second earlier there was only death, pain, and sorrow with the sky lit up not by Christmas lights but by the fire of munitions. On the holiest of Western holidays, men had been dying in combat.
A lone French soldier who had previously sung for the opera in Paris got out of his foxhole. Standing exposed to gunfire, he started to sing a Christmas carol: “O holy night the stars are brightly shining, it’s the night of our dear savior’s birth.”
The lone soldier kept singing through the
Men previously sworn to be bitter enemies driven by nationalism, pride, and brutality had their hearts and minds tamed by a common holiday within an uncommon event they all shared together.
An appreciative sentiment and the familiarity of spending time with family, yearning to be home, and participating in giving and receiving gifts from friends and loved ones on Christmas Day stopped a war, even if for just a short spell.
This was a very rare circumstance, an event that would never be repeated for the rest of that war, or in any war since.
This year, whatever holiday you celebrate, whether it’s Christmas, Kwanza, or Hannukah, it will be a time of giving and receiving, but it should also be a time of reflection.
They say that “it’s always better to give than to receive,” yet in this life we all will sometimes receive. And whether it will be help from others, or from the divine, the greatest gift you can repay anyone for giving or helping you (in my opinion) is to live a good life, and in some instances, try to “pay it forward” to help others. What’s more, the greatest gift you can give to yourself is “forgiveness.”
I close with this thought: “I think one of the greatest gifts you can give to someone is access to the possibility of freedom that you
CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR ME TO SLOW DOWN AND REFLECT ON THE THINGS I’M THANKFUL FOR.
- JENNY MENKE AVID/Learning Success Center
The Advocate
It’s been more than two years since the last election of the Associated Student government leaders at Mt. Hood. With COVID no longer holding students back from attending in-person classes, more are coming to campus. And, as such, the lack of food options and difficulty in accessing student resources such as Barney’s Pantry boxes has become more apparent.
With a new election ending Friday (Dec. 2), a candidate forum was held Nov. 17 in the Fireplace Gallery inside the MHCC Student Union. Whether shooting pool with energetic music playing, to entering a heated match of table tennis, or discussing issues under the melody of the piano nearby, students were able to naturally approach each candidate and hear their opinions on the challenges facing students around the college.
From opening a student-led market, to inviting major chain food restaurants to offer more eating choices, each candidate expressed their own perspective on how to lead as the student body president or vice president.
Here is a summary of what each had to say:
Ibrahim Diarra’s main concern is the lack of proper response to student concerns from campus, due to poor knowledge of the role of the student body government. He said it should be more transparent for students across the campus by holding more campus events. This
would be done by advertising to encourage students’ participation in student government and other college meetings to become more aware of Mt. Hood’s current issues.
With the current lack of food access, the college should open up serving opportunities to more companies besides the Riverview Restaurant (which now supplies food/coffee service at MHCC). His ideal vision is to bring in outside chains, such as McDonald’s and Starbucks, in order to get the cafeteria fully operational for students.
His Day One strategy is to hold a forum for students to explain their major concerns. He highlights the struggle for students to start clubs due to the availability of resources, such as obtaining a club advisor to start a club. Another main topic of this forum would be to gather opinions on what type of stores students would want on campus before reaching out to specific companies.
With her previous experience in student body government, Winchell wants to expand the public image of both it and student clubs on campus. This would be done by restarting the podcast program the college ran in order to advertise club activities and student events, and by re-working the MHCC website.
She also wishes to push for opening a student-led market, where students would be able to sell self-made products, like an art or farmers market. Her main goal for this is to give students experience in how to create and run a business while being able to make money for
themselves. In her vision, there would not be a fee for vendors to sell their products, though the vendor would need to register to begin selling.
She also wants to use her position of president to expand Barney’s Pantry to supply more healthier foods, such as fresh produce and nuts. Her aim is to increase the communication between MHCC and Riverview Restaurant. The ultimate goal is to ensure the company brings enough supplies to feed students for the Winter Term.
Solano honed in on the online presence of the college, and wants to have a more open feeling for the student body, within the college community. He believes there is still an aura of “COVID fear” that is affecting college events. As such, he feels the student government should work to create a more open and engaged environment for students. This would be done by revamping the government’s presence online and by updating the college’s website.
When it comes to social media, Solano wants to increase the amount of content posted on the ASMHCC social media pages. Specifically, he wants to widen posts on the Instagram page to not only include ASG news coverage, but to also highlight student accomplishments or stories around the college. This would help feed into creating the identity of transparency between students and the ASMHCC.
In terms of the food situation, Erick views the main issue in terms of the current suppliers
to Barney’s Pantry. Ideally, he wants to gain products from bulk stores such as Costco to increase the amount of items available. This would allow for better quality and quantity of food options there, which would allow the college to then sort out opening the cafeteria.
Estrada’s major concern is food access on campus and the lack of nutritional food Barney’s Pantry gives out. To begin fixing the food shortage, he believes reopening the former Bookstore café would help. This would also be a good place to allow students to meet with the student government members or find resources around campus while relaxing, reading books or studying.
He said he wants to have more fresh produce be available to students, in contrast to the energy drinks and chips in the pantry. His vision for both Barney’s Pantry and a reopened Bookstore café is to bring in more wholesome foods. This would be done by restoring and expanding the garden (horticulture) program on campus. He also would want to reach out to the current contributors for Barney’s Pantry to negotiate gaining more fresh produce on hand.
Estrada said he believes another means for students to become more invested in the college community is to open a student market in the former Cosmetology salon space in the main courtyard. The ultimate goal for the market would be to bring more life into the campus, with a variety of services. This would allow student vendors to gain connections with the college staff, students, and others.
