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Men's basketball knocks off #1 Chemeketa
dvocate Mt. Hood Community College Gresham, Oregon
Sports p. 3
www.advocate-online.net
January 22, 2010
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Volume 45, Issue 14
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State Rep. Matt Wingard and State Sen. Rod Monroe debate Thursday in the College Center the impact of measures 66 & 67.
Photos by Ron J. Rambo Jr./The Advocate
If Measure 66 & 67 pass:
Oregon legislators debate the pros and cons of Measures 66 & 67 prior to Tuesday's election Jordan Tichenor The Advocate
The stability of education budgets throughout Oregon if measures 66 and 67 fail next week, was the focus of a debate Thursday in the College Center. The MHCC Associated Student Government hosted the between State Sen. Rod Monroe and State Rep. Matt Wingard. Monroe is also a member of the MHCC District board. Among the questions were whether community college funding should be cut, to which both men said “No.” Wingard said he had been part of an effort to protect education in Oregon. “We tried to make (education) safe from cuts. We were ignored,” said Wingard. Monroe responded by saying that the only way to protect education is to generate some revenue so that education funding would not be cut. “If we’re going to maintain services, we’re going to have to have some revenue,” said Monroe. Overall, Monroe took the position that because 95 percent of the state budget goes to education, corrections and human resources, if the measures fail, all three of these areas will have to be cut. Wingard disagreed and gave a breakdown of Oregon’s budget, which indicated that 50 percent of the $55 billion budget remained undesig-
nated. Wingard also said the budget has already been raised $4.6 billion from the 2007-09 budget. “I would defend the position that (Oregon) is not starved for cash. It has a budgeting problem,” said Wingard. Wingard said that the essentials Monroe referred to should be accounted for, and everything else should start being cut. The question was raised as to whether state spending actually did go up by billions, to which he responded that all expenditures went up, and general expenditures went down by $2 billion. Monroe also said that if cuts are going to happen, “you have to cut from (education, corrections, and human resources).” Wingard responded by saying it seemed unreasonable that in a “$55 billion two-year budget, they can’t find $733 million to cut.” This led to the next question of whether the taxes created by the measures would kill jobs. Wingard answered by saying Oregon is more dependent on small businesses than most states are, and that most businesses do not really pay taxes, but pass them on to their customers. Monroe responded by saying that small businesses earning more than $250,000 could probably afford a small increase in tax. “Under measures 66 and 67, only 3 percent will pay a little more. Fifteen percent will get a tax cut,” said Monroe.
Debate continued on page 7
- You would pay no additional taxes if you make less than $125,000 a year individually or less than $250,000 a year jointly. - If your individual income were, for example, $130,000 a year, you would pay an additional $90. - Businesses would pay a minimum tax of $150 a year, depending upon income of the corporation, business, or partnership. - Raises $255 million for health care, education and public services budget. - If the measures fail, MHCC would face losses of $925,386 to $1.87 million for the 201011 fiscal year. Tax information used from tax calculator on oregonlive.com
Haitian earthquake relief efforts underway on MHCC campus Sanne Godfrey The Advocate
The MHCC Forensics team is accepting clothing and unused non-liquid toiletries donations for the Yvenson Bernard Haiti Relief Effort until 1 p.m. today. Speech and forensics instructor Shannon Valdivia came across the Yvenson Bernard Haiti Relief Effort through a FaceBook page named “Oregonians Supporting Disaster Relief Efforts in Haiti.” “We’re really doing pretty well,” said Valdivia. Valdivia said that two hours after the earthquake, the forensics team was sitting in the office thinking of ways to help, but it was brought up that a lot of the students didn’t have money to donate, which is why they came up with the idea to donate clothing. Valdivia came into contact with the OSU student athlete
association and through them with former OSU running back Yvenson Bernard. Bernard, a Haitian native, is going to personally oversee the delivery of the clothing and toiletries, according to Valdivia. She also added that the Reser family has stepped up to pay for the shipping. The CASS/IALS program on campus is also preparing to hold a fundraiser. Nikki Gillis, program coordinator for CASS and IALS, said the event is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 9 and the idea is to have an international night with food, music and performances. Gillis said the performances will be mostly from the students in the program that represent 11 different countries. “The money will go directly to students (current and former) and their families to rebuild their homes,” said Gillis.
Relief concert for Haitians to take place at Kennedy School Jan. 24 Former student displays work in Visual Arts Gallery A&E p. 5
MHCC finance council creates budget for 2010 fiscal year News p. 6
There are three students enrolled in the program that are Haitian natives. Last Friday, the students were able to get a hold of their immediate families and they are alive, but they have not heard from them since the aftershock and they have not heard from aunts, uncles, cousins and friends which makes the news bittersweet, according to Gillis. As of Monday, Gillis had also heard news of the 10 most recent graduates of the program and at least three had lost their homes. Gillis pointed out that all this news was before the 6.1 aftershock hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Wednesday. Gillis said that some of the graduates from the program are “working with aid organizations as translators.”
Index
Music P. 4
Cassie McVeety looks to raise funds for MHCC
Opinion
p. 2
Sports
p. 3
Music
p. 4
A&E
p. 5
News
Feature p. 8
Feature
p. 6-7 p. 8
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OPINION
The Advocate
Editorial
Relief in Haiti still needed, many places available to make donations
With the relief effort picking up steam since the 7.0 earthquake Jan. 12 in Haiti, folks must remember that this will be a long process that won’t end for many months. First Lady Michelle Obama is pushing for text contributions – by texting 90999, a person will contribute $10 – but many people don’t realize the money won’t land in the pot at the Red Cross until cell phone bills are paid. This is unfortunate because money is needed now. The situation there got worse when a 6.1 aftershock hit the area Wednesday. Now relief is needed more than ever. According to MHCC geology instructor Daina Hardisty, aftershocks can occur for a year or more after such an event. “The plates are readjusting to make an equilibrium,” said Hardisty. “So as each adjustment occurs, sometimes new stresses occur, so with new adjustments come new stresses.” While the aftershocks may not be as devastating as the quake, it’s important to understand that aid will continue to be needed. In order to ensure that donations will get to the Red Cross in a timely manner, donors should go directly to www.redcross.org to contribute. According to the Red Cross website, the money they’ve received is being used to fund first aid posts, hospitals, relief distribution sites, water trucking programs and family linking stations. The first aid stations are working toward getting more food, clean drinking water and other basic supplies to 200,000 to 400,000 people each day by truck. Locally, Portland’s Mercy Corps is another place to turn. Currently Mercy Corps (www.mercycorps.org) is funding clean water and sanitation, job creation and economic recovery, and trauma support for children. MHCC’s Forensics Team is accepting donations for the Yvenson Bernard Haiti Relief Effort. They’re asking students to bring clothing and new non-liquid toiletries to AC Room 1700. Donations will be picked up this evening, but they’re asking that students bring everything by 1 p.m. this afternoon. Other places to donate: CARE: http://my.care.org Concern Worldwide: http://bit.ly/7ExGGp Direct Relief International: http://tr.im/dridonate Oxfam America: https://secure.oxfamerica.org World Vision: http://tr.im/wvdon
January 22, 2010
Religious garb non-threat, should be allowed in schools Jen Ashenberner The Advocate
I recently heard about a case in Salem where a female teacher is appealing a state law that prohibits any type of religious clothing in schools. I found myself searching my morals and beliefs for whether I agreed or disagreed. The teacher is Muslim and wears a head-scarf, or what’s culturally known as a hijab. A hijab covers the head and can be described as a way of redirecting the eye from the face, like a hat. The teacher’s reasoning behind appealing the law is that allowing employers to ban religious clothing is like allowing them to request they change the color of their skin. While it’s ludicrous to compare removing an item of clothing to changing one’s skin color, the logic behind her suggestion is key when deciding just how far society has come over the years. When segregation was occurring, African Americans screamed for the right to sit where they wanted, eat where they wanted or go to school where they wanted. As a result, the idea that their skin color didn’t make them any less human was adopted into law. The Constitution declares the same rights for everyone regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, age, race, RELIGION, nationality, political view, country of origin, etc. The state law created in the 1920s banning religious clothing from schools is outdated and needs to be revised or eliminated. Separating church from state made sense when prayers were being recited in schools and “proselytizing” was supposedly popular among the religious. The last seedling of prayer in public school was abolished when the government put a ban on saying the “Pledge of Allegiance” in its
original form, eliminating God from one of the verses. I agree that religion should be kept out of schools, but what’s to say that an article of clothing is actually religious? Unless it’s been voiced by the person that it’s part of their religion (like the situation in Salem), who’s to say the head scarf doesn’t protect their skin from the sun because they have a rare disease, or it’s to cover their thinning hair due to chemotherapy? There’s also the issue of whose business is it anyway. It’s no more my business that my son’s teacher is gay than it is what religion they practice as long as they aren’t preaching that religion to my child. Seeing a teacher in a hijab might bring up questions but it doesn’t say to a child that this is the only worthy religion to practice. So what if kids ask questions? Isn’t the purpose behind asking questions to understand the differences among people? We teach our children that it’s not okay to be different, especially at school when imposing legislation that forces people to tailor themselves to the requirements of the government. That’s the exact opposite of what we want them to learn. The way someone dresses is an expression of who they are as a person. Teachers shouldn’t have to change who they are in order to teach children math. One has nothing to do with the other. There should be a compromise made without it falling only on the shoulders of those who want to teach. It seems we are so concerned with what our kids shouldn’t learn that they are not learning what they should be. Do we really need to attempt to take the focus away from our flailing school budgets by fighting an issue that so clearly could be a non-issue if not for the legacy of the Ku Klux Klan? Oregon government officials should start taking more of an interest in providing quality education to students rather than doing everything in their power to anger the people that devote their careers to educate our children.
Colors and Numbers . . . and Crap
Comic strip by: Chris Shelton
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january 22, 2010
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SPORTS
The Advocate 3
Saints pull out the umbrella on the Storm Jon Fuccillo The Advocate
Photo by Brett Stanley/ The Advocate
Sophomore forward Jeremy Jones drives to the hoop against Chemeketa Community College sophomore forward Seiji Blume during Saturday’s 72-71 win at home. Jones finished the game with 10 points before fouling out in the second half.
The Saints men’s basketball team eeked out a one-point victory Saturday night over undefeated Chemeketa Community College Storm 72-71 in front of a packed house at the MHCC gym. The Saints are now 10-3 on the season and 2-1 in the Southern Region, while the Storm fell to 12-1 overall and 2-1 in league play. Point guard Earl Jones rejoined the starting line up after two games in a row as a reserve. He finished with nine points and 10 assists in the winning effort, including two points with 3.9 seconds left in the game for the winning score. “It wasn’t a set play,” said Head Coach Geoff Gibor on the winning shot. “We wanted to get the ball in Earl’s hands. I knew he would make something happen. He got a really good look. We just wanted to make sure he got the ball up the court coming out of that timeout and their defense let him go right to the cup.” Forward Jeremy Jones said the team held their breath and had a strong feeling that Earl Jones would create a high percentage shot. “I knew he was going to take it all the way,” said Jeremy Jones. “I didn’t want him to pass (the ball). Too much of a risk with the ball getting deflected or someone dropping it and not getting a shot off. I was just praying it was going to go in.” It wasn’t a pretty game for the Saints in the second half as they blew a 17-point halftime lead. Minute by minute, the lead dwindled until the Storm took a one-point lead 71-70 after Jones committed a foul with 12.1 seconds left on the
clock. The foul sent Storm point guard Tyrone Phillips to the line for three free throws and he sank all three to quiet the Saints’ hopes. Phillips ended the game with a team-high 16 points. The Saints were outscored 44-28 in the second half. “I told the guys at half that they (Chemeketa) aren’t the number one team for no reason,” said Gibor. “We knew they were going to make a comeback. “It was good for our guys to know that we can compete with anyone. We just need to buckle down and do the things that we have to do.” Two Saints ended the game in double figures: forward Jamar Johnson with 24 points and Jeremy Jones with 10 points. Asked what it does for the team’s confidence after knocking off the number one team, Gibor said he wants to continue taking it one game at a time. “We have to keep moving forward,” he said. “Beating Chemeketa didn’t take back the loss to Clackamas. (Jan. 13.) There are a lot of games to be played.” For the first time in conference history, the Saints will play back-to-back games today and Saturday. Tonight the Saints head to Roseburg to play the Umpqua Community College Riverhawks (1-2, 3-11) at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday the Saints travel to Coos Bay to play the Southwestern Oregon Community College Lakers (1-2, 6-9) at 6 p.m. “There is no reason we don’t come back 2-0 from this weekend,” said Gibor.
Into the mind of first-year Saints Head Coach Geoff Gibor First-year men’s basketball Head Coach Geoff Gibor met with The Advocate’s Jon Fuccillo to discuss his first year as head coach at Mt. Hood Community College. Gibor took over the team after the departure of former head coach Rob Nielson last season. How do you like being the man in charge and being able to run your own team here at MHCC? It is interesting for me. There has been a huge learning curve for me, but I don’t really view it like I am the man. I have a good coaching staff and good players with a lot of experience. Therefore, I feel like we are all in this together. I am enjoying the experience.
What’s been the biggest difficulty with the transition from assistant coach to head coach? Even the title has a stronger sound to it. I was very concerned that the returning players would still view me as an assistant coach. They have really embraced me as the head coach. The toughest thing has been the stress level. I feel like I put a higher level of importance into everything I am doing as the head coach. I did not really feel that way as an assistant coach.
Are you happy with how the season is going so far? I am happy at the direction that our mindsets are heading. Our guys are really beginning to understand the importance of our fundamentals. We have a cou-
ple losses that I am frustrated with, but I think we are learning from these experiences.
Although conference play is just getting going, do you think about the Tri- Cities a lot? ( The Tri-Cities, Wash., will host the NWAACC Championships played at the end of each season). I think about it a little, but then I try to re-focus on what is really important: our next game.
Do you think this team has the talent and mind set to go all the way this season? I believe that every day we are improving in some facet of the game. Our team is committed to winning. They are slowly understanding that they can beat anyone if they play hard and focus on the right things! I am happy with our progression so far.
How exciting is it for you as a coach at this level to have and watch a guy like Earl Jones play? Having a sophomore point guard like Earl is a blessing. He is so talented and has the ability to change a game at any given moment. There are not many players that can do that while making their team better. It is very exciting. If the opportunity presents itself, would
you like to coach at the next level? I would definitely think about it, but I would have to evaluate each opportunity separately. It sounds good, but there is a lot that goes into making that
type of move.
What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of this year’s team — and why? Commitment. They have committed to doing some things that are not necessarily the easiest or the most enjoyable, such as playing tough hard-nosed defense and rebounding.
What’s been your happiest moment this season? Coaching a depleted team to the Cross-over Tournament championship. We were able to beat some pretty good teams.
Do you think you could compete right now on this team as a player? (Gibor played basketball for Blue Mountain Community College from 1996-1998. During his freshman campaign, his team took second place at NWAACCs.) I could help this team out by stretching the defense. I have always been a good shooter. So, I could help us out on the perimeter. Could be a liability on defense; I do foul a lot. That could cost me some minutes.
Geoff Gibor Men’s basketball head coach
Lady Saints hit the road for next three games Jake Fray
The Advocate
After a tough loss at home Jan. 13 against the Clackamas Community College Cougars, the Lady Saints took care of business Saturday night, beating the Chemeketa Community College Storm 81-55 in the MHCC gym. “We went in and took care of business,” said Saints Head Coach Larry Davis. “We came out strong; offensively we played well, as well as our defense. We didn’t force anything, played our game and never looked back.” The Saints opened up with a big run, finishing the first half up 44-28 even with a short bench.
“Every one of our girls stepped up,” said Davis. “Whatever it called for us to do to win the game, they did it.” In the second half, the Saints continued to light it up from the field, shooting 50 percent from the field and 58 percent from threepoint land. Being down freshman guard Emily Bando to a high anklesprain suffered in the Clackamas game, sophomore guard Brooklyn Bahme lit it up from the field, shooting 60 percent from the field and scoring 22 points to lead all scorers. Bahme said after the game it wasn’t about individual players
that brought out the win but it was an entire team effort that pulled out the victory. Bahme also said everyone put out what they needed to get the win. Also having a good game was sophomore guard Brittany Yates, who finished with 16 points and six assists. Sophomores Ericka Ziegler and Katie Smith chipped in with 12 points apiece for the Saints. “We did what we needed to do to win,” said Davis. “We want to keep our opponents under 60 points a game. Our guard depth is not as good as it usually is, being short off the bench. It just feels good to get the job done.”
Davis is hoping to get back Bando from her injury by next week. “She might be back by this weekend,” said Davis. “She is on light duty in practice right now. She is working on getting back and doing a lot of ball control drills right now.” The Saints now play three straight road games, starting with Umpqua today at 5:30 p.m. in Roseburg and South Western Community College Saturday at 4 p.m. The last game will be Jan. 27 at Lane Community College. “I am not a big advocate of the schedule,” said Davis about not
playing Wednesday night. “The SWOCC coach says it’s not fair to travel down there twice. Instead, it penalizes us to have to play backto-back because he thinks its better. That’s part of being a college basketball team and where you are located.” As for the team’s hopes for coming out of the road trip with a winning record, Davis thinks it can happen. “We definitely have the potential to go 3-0 or 2-1,” he said. “We just have to prepare; this team trains harder than any other team (in NWAACCs). We will be ready and focused to take care of business.”
4
MUSIC
The Advocate
Album falls short of greatness but does not fail.
End Times: the Purgatory of LP's M. Michael Rose The Advocate
End Times, the latest charmingly simplistic album by Eels, is a unique journey into the world of loss and heartbreak. The oddest facet of this gem of an album is that its strongest attribute is also its primary downfall. The minimalist approach to an emotional subject such as heartbreak is a difficult approach to adopt without coming across as “sappy” or “whiney,” but Eels manages to use this approach with much success. The best of the songs on this album hint of a similarity to Eddy Vedder’s work on the “Into the Wild” soundtrack, possessing a sort of haunting quality of melancholy joy. Eels’ simplistic style, which distinctly lacks a full traditional band, is accompanied by some very well done and yet plain language lyrics. These elements come together in a sound that is as poetic as it is tragic.
However, not all of the songs reach this point of harmonic beauty. Occasionally, in songs like “I Need a Mother” and title track “End Times,” this simple sound works against them. These songs seem to drone on forever and bore the listener with drab melodies and boring lyrics. The other downfall of this album is songs that just don’t fit at all, like “Paradise Blues.” These faster-paced songs are definitely out of place on this album. The minimalist approach is a good fit for jazz songs like these but not coming from this band. Bad eggs aside, this album is worth a listen if minimalist-altrock is your style. Even if it isn’t and you can bear to listen to something outside your musical comfort zone, then give this one a listen; it’s not bad.
january 22, 2010
Fundraiser for Partners In Health
REPLACE
previews
New music releases for Tuesday
Three 6 Mafia Laws of Power
Originally founded in 1991 under the name “Backyard Posse,” then later known as the “Triple Six Mafia,” this group originally performed “horror core,” a mix between hip hop beats and horror-themed lyrical content. Their career has been a wild ride of high and low points, including their Academy Award win in 2006 for their song “It’s hard out here for a pimp” from the “Hustle & Flow” soundtrack. This will be their tenth studio album.
Correction A source was misidentified in a Music section story in the Jan. 15, 2010, issue of The Advocate. Mike Houlihan (also referred to as “Q-Ball”) was misidentified as Eric Wilson in the story “LBC: A tribute to Sublime.” LBC was introduced to the crowd Dec. 9 at Dante’s in downtown Portland as a Sublime tribute band, and Houlihan was introduced as an original Sublime member, which he is not. Wilson was the original bassist for Sublime. Any references to Wilson were a case of mistaken identity and should have been attributed to Houlihan. The Advocate regrets the confusion.
Transfer Students Northwest Christian University announces a new competitive scholarship for transfer students with a 3.5 transferable GPA or higher. $2000 per year, guaranteed renewable. Find out more and apply by visiting www.northwestchristian.edu/ undergrad/admissions/transfers.aspx.
Eugene, Oregon www.northwestchristian.edu 541-684-7201 877-463-6622
Musicians host benefit for medical aid to Haiti M. Michael Rose The Advocate
Classical Revolution PDX, a local classical music organization, will sponsor a benefit concert for Haiti Sunday at the McMenamins’ Kennedy School. The concert will help raise funds to donate to Partners In Health (PIH), a charity geared toward providing aid to countries in need. There will be performances by local musicians such as Matt Sheehy, Opera Theater Oregon, The Dimes, James Faretheewell and others. Following the concert will be a silent auction with the proceeds donated to PIH. The items were donat-
ed by local artists and businesses. Classical Revolution PDX has a personal connection to the Haiti crisis through member Briana Ratterman. Her father was in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and has not yet been located. Classical Revolution PDX is a group of several dozen Portland area musicians whose goal is to bring classical music to the mainstream by playing at venues not normally known for hosting such performances, and by challenging the “elitist” image of the classical music world. PIH has been working to bring modern medical care to the people of Haiti for 20 years.
january 22, 2010
A&E
The Advocate 5
A different way to dance
A former cheerleader seeks a challenge at MHCC with ballet Katie Pleskac, a 20-year-old MHCC sophomore, has been involved with cheerleading for the past six years but is now taking a ballet class on campus for a new dance challenge. Pleskac is enrolled in beginning ballet, which intermixes with intermediate ballet taught under instructor Jane Kelly. The Gresham native was a cheerleader for four years at Gresham High School, and won three varsity letters. She admits she has had no prior experience or much knowledge of ballet and that is one of the reasons she decided to join the course. “My schedule finally opened up,” she said. “Looking back on it, I wish I would have joined ballet before I started cheerleading. It would have been real helpful.” Pleskac believes the most important thing she’s learned so far is the “grace” that comes with every new lesson. “I’ve learned a lot right away,” she said. “Ballet is completely different (than cheerleading),” she said. “It’s all about getting that form and posture down. It’s very graceful. I’m not used to something like this. “I’m really liking it so far. It’s been great. I feel much better and more active. I need some-
thing physical like this in my life.” Pleskac wants to use ballet and other dance courses to get back into “cheerleading shape” and plans to try out for the Style Shock Cheer team based in Tigard. “I would love to do more dancing in the future,” she said.” It’s helping me get back into shape after taking two years off,” she said. I am working on getting back into cheerleading shape.” Although dance has played a huge role in her life, Pleskac said her real calling is in the medical field and hopes to some day become a nurse. “There are so many opportunities in the nursing field,” she said. “One day I said to myself I want to do nursing.” Although Pleskac’s interests are leading her in a new direction, she feels dancing will always play a major role in her life. “Dancing has taught me so much discipline in my life,” she said. “I love dancing and take a lot of pride in it.” Even if the journey ends here at MHCC, Pleskac plans on applying these life lessons that dance has taught her in everyday life situations. “With dance you have to power through it, like everything in life”
Story by Jon Fuccillo
Photos by Brett Stanley Ballet instructor Jane Kelly coaches the class Tuesday.
Katie Pleskac
Former student gives back to MHCC with his art Devin Courtright The Advocate
Although Miles Browne transferred from Mt. Hood Community College to Pacific Northwest College of Art several years ago, he is still actively involved with the college community. Browne was contacted by painting instructor Lori Lorion to display his artwork in the Humanities Department. Lorion said, “I chose Miles because his work is so strong, he has a large body of work and he is a wonderful inspiration to our students to pursue a bachelor’s degree after MHCC.” On Jan. 8, Browne hung 10 of his paintings in the department. “Those paintings are just various studies and explorations I’ve done in the past year or so,” said Browne. “There isn’t really a cohesive theme to those paintings, but I would say that a large part of my work deals with personal narratives and the mechanics of memory.” Ursula Irwin, the dean of humanities, said members of the English Department for some time have suggested student paintings to be hung in the humanities office. Irwin said “it sure beats the dreary and holey walls” but it also “provides a budding artist with hard-to-come-by exhibit space.” The Art Department is part of the Humanities Division, which “supports the artistic and creative spirit and, with it, art created by our students,” according to Irwin. “We’ve had a lot of very positive comments from instructors and students.” English instructor Scarlett Saavedra was so impressed by Browne’s work that as Browne was about to hang one of his paintings on the wall, she decided she wanted to
Miles Browne
purchase it on the spot. “It is an abstract with the high, horizontal reds that I associate with the coming and going of the sun, and of the coming and going of a life,” said Saavedra. “Some people might see it as a sunset over the Pacific and the blues and black zags below as the darkened land. I don’t really. Its abstract nature cradles my own storm or calm, and speaks to me differently each time I look at it. Which is often,” said Saavedra. Browne painted when he was younger and took art classes in high school. He started going to MHCC in 2003, taking general education classes. Before he "I think it's important to ventured into art, he actually had an interest in computer science. gain that diversity and really “I started taking some art classes, experiment with different mostly just out of finding out (more about it) but then really found that it styles, mediums." was something I really enjoyed doing, and was something I really wanted to Miles Browne pursue,” said Browne. Former MHCC student Browne paints in a variety of media; he started with acrylic and water color and then moved toward doing more oil-based paintings. In addition, Browne also does sculpture and print making. “I think it’s important to gain that diversity and really experiment with different styles, mediums,” said Browne. “I transferred a couple of years ago but what’s nice is (even though) it took a while with my credits to transfer from here, I transferred in as a junior,” said Browne. “I definitely appreciate getting the foundation (at MHCC), the confidence, and enough of the experience to transfer. Everyone has been so supportive and it’s been a great experience.” Browne has many works displayed around campus, from the Visual Arts Gallery and surrounding areas to the library and now in the Humanities Department. He also helps the Art department and fellow art students with their artistic vision. “I’m always happy to help out and help curate the art in the library and I help hang the art in the visual arts area,” said Browne. Lorion said, “We’ve all recognized his talent. He’s so helpful, and he inspires other students. He’s done so many things.” Browne said he wants to further his education and get his master of fine arts. He’s also considering teaching art. “Teachers have inspired me to see their work and I want to pass that forward,” said Browne. Lorion added, “He would make a marvelous teacher; he’s patient, kind, insightful, likes people, and is knowledgeable. He has quiet wisdom.” According to Irwin, Browne’s paintings will remain in the Humanities office until the end of the term. Aided by his prior interest in computers, Browne designed his own website www.milesartist.com. Photos by Devin Courtright/The Advocate
news
6 The Advocate
january 22, 2010
Finance Council submits budget for Senate approval Richard Chauvet The Advocate
The Associated Student Government (ASG) Finance Council submitted a $627,000 budget proposal Tuesday to the ASG Senate for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The proposal outlined a budget split between co-curricular and athletic organizations, with co-curricular programs requesting $338,600 and athletics with $475,700. The plan did not include a proposed 20 percent increase in student fees, as this change is still being considered. A boom in student enrollment led to a substantial increase in revenue, up by 45 percent "Having such a huge from $531,000 to $770,400 before surplus gives us, as fixed costs. a team, a lot more “With a lot more money from opportunities." revenue, we are Jeff Lewis able to do a lot said ChelForensics Representative more,” sea Van Baalen, representative from The Advocate. “It’s a lot easier to add money than it is having to cut from programs.” Most programs were able to increase their requested budgets: co-curricular programs receiving $338,600, up by more than 28 percent from the 2009-10 fiscal year. One of the organizations that benefited from the surplus was the forensics team, with their funding up from $30,100 to $42,500. “Having such a huge surplus gives us, as a team, a lot more opportunities to become more competitive,” said Jeff Lewis, representative from forensics. “Since we have more money we can travel to more tournaments and it will also help us host nationals next year.” Lewis also added that he believes Mt. Hood will be the first community college to host this tournament and it will bring a new sense of prestige to their reputation. The athletic budget is still in the approval process, with two more public meetings to discuss the allocations before it reaches the Executive ASG board, and finally the Senate.
Co-Curricular Budget for 2010 vs. 2009
Revenue for Co-Curricular: $313,600 Carry Forward: $25,000
Total: $338,600
Full-time faculty association intends to bargain new contract Ron J. Rambo Jr. The Advocate
Full-time Faculty Association President Pam Shields has given the college the faculty’s intent to bargain, but no negotiations have been scheduled. “We have not met with the college to discuss bargaining to date, but will be talking with them about bargaining format by February,” Shields said Wednesday. Shields said she doesn’t expect the economy to affect negotiations beyond what has been the “Oregon norm.” In 2008, negotiations extended beyond the state-regulated 150-day negotiation period and continued for several months after Aug. 28, which was to be the final day of negotiations.
Community Outreach adopts, maintains trail Jordan Tichenor The Advocate
The MHCC Community Outreach Council has adopted the Gresham/Fairview trail for cleanup. The council is made up of Associated Student Government members and other students. The trail is part of the 40-mile Loop, and connects the Springwater Trail and the Columbia Slough. It extends from Northeast Halsey at 201st Avenue to Northwest Burnside Road. The trail project was coordinated last term by Jeannine Retzlaff, the ASG director for community affairs and the chair of the community outreach council, \and is continuing through this term. “Jeannine came to us. She asked us if there was any weekly activities that they could do to get involved in the community, and so we suggested adopting the trail,”said Erica Martin, the community volunteer coordinator for the City of Gresham. “(The project) has been really eye opening,” said Retzlaff. The trail clean-up has aver-
aged about eight people every week, who are made up mostly of student government members and their friends and family, according to Retzlaff. “We bring our friends and family, but everyone's welcome to come,” said Retzlaff. According to Retzlaff, the clean-up mostly consists of picking up trash along the trail and cleaning up graffiti around the area. Graffiti clean-up materials are supplied by the City of Gresham, but can only be used in very specific situations. In most situations, the graffiti has to be avoided and someone else called to come clean it up. Martin said the clean-up group has been doing a good job and checking in with her regularly. “Our goal is to make it accessible for student to get involved in the community,” said Retzlaff. “I see it expanding,” said Retzlaff. The weekly clean-up for this term is every Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. For information regarding the Community Outreach Council, contact Retzlaff at 503-491-7224.
MHCC Interim President Gary Murph began negotiations, but retired in June 2008. When President John Sygielski took office, the administration and faculty engaged in a different negotiation style, as small groups of administrators and faculty were created to negotiate in a more close-knit fashion as opposed to the open negotiations that had previously been used. Asked if she expected a negotiation period as drawn-out as the last contract period, Shields said, “It depends on the attitudes of the people at the table,” and that the choices will be “made by the individuals involved.” Faculty and administration are in the midst of negotiating several memorandums of understanding left over from the last contractual period. Sygielski was unavailable to comment prior to press time.
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1/11/10 2:26 PM
news
january 22, 2010
The Advocate 7
Spots still open for students in 2010 Census Riley Hinds The Advocate
The 2010 U.S. Census is looking for paid, part-time help but space is limited and students should sign up for their chance to participate as soon as possible. A hiring team opened up shop on the college campus Jan 12 in the Career Planning and Counseling Center and will be holding testing sessions here until early March. The next MHCC testing session will be Tuesday from 8-10 a.m. Other dates include Feb. 9, Feb. 23 and March 9. There are locations to apply across Multnomah County and around 1000-1500 positions will be filled. If you would like to apply outside the college, there are testing sites established at the Fairview Library, Gresham City Hall, as well as several churches in the Gresham area. Program Assistant Christy Weigel said, “We’ll have students sign up at the Career Planning and Counseling center so that we don’t have a flood of people off the street showing up to try and apply. People who are not students who would like to apply for Census jobs should call 1-866-861-2010.” Recruiting Assistant Jim Schocko suggested that students who are interested in taking the application test should go to the Census website www.census.gov to take a practice test they have posted, but he also
stressed that students should take any questions they might have to Weigel. The Census Bureau has informational literature available at places like grocery stores and apartment complexes. For more test location information, contact the local bureau at 503205-8370. The only restriction in place for those who can apply is that you must be at least 18 years old and bring proper identification, such as a valid drivers license or ID card. The multiple-choice test is 30 minutes, timed and includes a range of subjects from clerical skills and reading to organizational skills. This is not the first time that the organization has come to the school. Last spring a canvassing operation attracted more than 7,000 applicants and hired 400 individuals from Multnomah County, including the college campus. There are several positions available, from lister to field operations supervisor, each with its own level of hourly pay. The position with the most openings is the “lister/canvasser” position, which pays $15.20 per hour. Those who are hired will attend there is a four-day, paid training session which all employees must go through to prepare them for the job. For more information on the MHCC testing sessions, call the Career Planning and Counseling Center at 503-491-7432.
Computer lab hours cut; Saturdays eliminated L. John King The Advocate
Computer services has reduced staff and available hours in the open computer labs this quarter. Becky Gish, technology services coordinator, said, “We had to cut hours of service and reduce staff in order to be fiscally responsible.” Open lab hours have been scaled back from 200 hours per week to 114 and there are now 11 fewer lab monitors. In addition, lab hours will no longer be offered in rooms 1658/1659. “Decisions regarding which hours to cut and where were based on student usage statistics gathered over the past five years,” Gish said. She said labs hours in rooms 1658/1659 were eliminated due to duplication by the main lab in Room 1452. Hours in the lab in the athletic complex in Room 139B were cut be-
cause of low student usage. Students can also find computer access on the main floor of the library in Room 2303. Asked if the changes will be permanent, Gish said, “When it comes to budgetary issues, I don’t think we can say any decision is permanent. We are adapting to day-to-day changes as we become aware of them.” Asked how staff reduction was determined, Gish said, “We eliminated staff with poor job performance, attendance issues and insensitivity to student needs.” Asked how the reduced hours will affect him, MHCC and EOU student Tobias Robinson said, “The labs are my only access to the Internet. It will be inconvenient losing the lab on Saturdays but it makes sense because not very many students use the labs on the weekends.”
Main Lab Room New Hours Mon-Thurs Friday Saturday Sunday Hours Lost LRC Room 2303 New Hours Mon to Thurs Friday Weekends Hours Lost PE139B New Hours Tues &Thurs All other days Hours Lost
1452 8am to 9pm 8am to 2pm Closed Noon to 5pm 17.5
9am to 6pm 9am to 2pm Closed 26.5
12pm-5pm Closed 28
Lab Room 1658/1659 New Hours Closed Entirely Hours Lost 14
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Debate continued from page 1:
66 & 67 'hold the people hostage,' said Wingard Monroe also had to answer the question of whether or not Oregon businesses were likely to move to Washington, which he said he did not believe would happen. Wingard stated the opposite, and said businesses have already started moving to Washington. He was also asked why he thought it was unfair for corporations who make more money than the average business, to pay more. He responded by saying that he doesn’t see “businesses as something separate that are sucking the lifeblood out of the community. These are people, and they’re doing all the job creating.” Questions from the crowd were welcomed near the end of the debate, and caused the two men to answer questions of such as how soon an increase in the quality of life could be seen. Both men responded to this question by saying that nothing would be immediate, and that the question was really unclear and couldn’t be answered until the taxes are implemented or the budget is cut and money can start going back to the people and jobs can start being made. Monroe summed up his argument for a yes vote on measures 66 and 67 by saying that without them, education, corrections, and human resources would have to be cut. Wingard called this “holding the people hostage,” saying the programs would have to be cut and that there were many other non-essential programs that could have their funding cut that would leave the essentials alone.
Calendar Friday, Jan. 22 Women's basketball vs. Umpqua starting at 5:30 p.m. in Roseburg Men's basketball vs. Umpqua starting at 7:30 p.m. in Roseburg
Saturday, Jan. 23 Women's basketball vs. SWOCC starting at 4 p.m. in Coos Bay, Ore. Men's basketball vs. SWOCC starting at 6 p.m. in Coos Bay, Ore.
Monday, Jan. 25 Student Success Seminar Time Management from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 2307 Learning together from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the College Center (see Newsbrief)
Tuesday, Jan. 26 Blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the College Center Vote for Measure 66 and 67
Wednesday, Jan. 27 Blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the College Center Student Success Seminar Study Strategies for Math & Science from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 3300 Student Success Seminar Understanding Test Anxiety from 3 to 4 p.m. in Room 2307 Women's basketball vs. Lane starting at 5:30 p.m. in Eugene Men's basketball vs. Lane starting at 7:30 p.m. in Eugene Hoedown Throwdown from 6 to 9 p.m. in Vista
Thursday, Jan. 28 Student Success Seminar Understanding Test Anxiety from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 2307
Newsbriefs To improve language skills, the College Center has opened the doors to the council chambers from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays to native Spanish and English speakers. A group of native Spanish speakers will be there to help English speakers improve their Spanish language skills and at the same time the Spanish speakers will get the opportunity to improve their English skills. The Financial Aid Office is hosting College Goal Oregon on Saturday, Jan. 30, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the MHCC Library. During the free event, students can receive help filling out the FAFSA form. Students are advised to bring their 2008 IRS tax returns, current value of assets, Social Security numbers and parental information.
FEATURE
8 The Advocate
JANUARY 22, 2010
VP oversees MHCC interactions with the extended world College Advancement Vice President looks to repeat success
Thelma M. Lucas The Advocate
Cassie McVeety says a major part of her job is connecting MHCC with the world beyond the campus boundaries. McVeety came here in August as the vice president of college advancement and executive director of the MHCC Foundation Inc. “Both of those are new jobs to MHCC. I was hired by Dr. Ski this summer to take these new positions to help grow the college external relations,” said McVeety. MHCC President John Sygielski said, “Mt. Hood Community College donors, board members, employees and students are fortunate to have Cassie McVeety as the college’s first vice president of college advancement and the executive director of the college’s foundation. “Cassie’s experience and reputation within Portland, the State of Oregon and nationally as chair of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) will enable us to develop the college and foundation in ways that will enrich our teaching and learning community and our service region.” McVeety said, “My job here is to oversee how the college interacts with the external world by and large, and that means communications in marketing, media relations publications, graphic design as well as fundraising which we do through both the Office of College Advancement and the MHCC Foundation.” Sunny Klever, foundation coordinator, said, “She is fantastic. Cassie is great to work with and is a perfect fit for MHCC.” Prior to coming to MHCC, McVeety was the vice president for university relations at Portland State University and has more than 20 years of development experience. She led all advancement efforts at PSU, including development, alumni relations, marketing and communications, publications, media and the Web. She also said she would like to grow alumni relations for the college. “It means when you graduate from MHCC, we are staying in touch with you and you will be a part of our alumni association. We don’t have that yet, that’s something that I’d like to grow, so College Advancement really means those three big departments – fundraising, communications, alumni relations – the external parts of
the college,” said McVeety. Under her leadership, PSU secured the largest gift in their history, a $25-million investment in sustainability from the Miller Foundation. She also orchestrated the university’s capital campaign, raising more than $100 million to enrich teaching and learning, community engagement, and resource development activities.
Cassie McVeety
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“At PSU, I did the same type of job that I do here,” said McVeety. Prior to joining PSU in 2004, McVeety served as director of campus advancement at Washington State University-Vancouver for 12 years, where she raised funds for a new campus. “One of the reasons I’m here is Dr. Ski. I met him at the foundation auction last year, and he told me he was looking for someone to take this new job and I just thought, ‘Oh my gosh,’ I get to work with this man and be a part of his vision. His plan and vision for this place are why I am here, because I want to help him and us, our team, move MHCC forward. We call that ‘moving mountains,’ ”said McVeety. Sygielski said, “Since being hired in August, Cassie has been listening and getting to know her internal and external colleagues to develop a plan of action that will allow both the college and foundation to further student and employee success. Since her arrival, she has been learning more about the units she leads and the college and will be enhancing the structure of the units to ensure they are successful in raising private funds for our students, employees and facilities while increasing public awareness of the college and foundation. Barbara Howell, media and public relations executive secretary, said, “She was outstanding at the candidate forum, giving examples of her background. I knew she was the one for us. She brings experience, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective.” McVeety said, “I absolutely love being here; it is an absolute delight to be in this position, and to have so much interaction with students. “I see a lot more students here and I love that.” She also did work like this at the University of Portland and at a private high school in Seattle. McVeety is a graduate of the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and she attained a master’s degree in public affairs from WSU-Vancouver. She serves on a variety of local, regional and national boards, including the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, where she is chair-elect of the international board of trustees.