So, you’ve survived a month into the academic year at Mt. Hood Community College. Congratulations! Here at the Advocate, we’re excited for your success on campus. But, like us, you may have noticed our campus is still reeling from the effects of the 2020 lockdown, and the impacts it has had on the campus experience students are having today.
Pre-pandemic Mt. Hood was a lively campus with many food options and plenty of carved-out spaces for students to congregate, creating a thriving campus culture. This Fall Term, it’s noticeable how lacking the college is in these departments. Advocate staffers have commiserated on the lack of food and drink options available for students who have long days on campus, or the lack of complete meal options.
A huge part of being a successful student is sleeping well and eating well – taking care of your body and your mind, so that you can learn better and be more capable when learning becomes a challenge. Some instructors make a point to reiterate this message to us at the beginning of each term.
We all recognize how important it is, yet students can’t depend on having access to complete and nutritious meals on campus.
Previously, MHCC had Vista Dining in AC2000, a large food court with indoor and outdoor seating located on the second floor on the south end of campus; Readers Cup, located where Riverview Café currently is, adjacent to the library; the St. Helens Bistro in AC2796, upstairs at the very north end of campus; and the Bookstore coffee shop right at the center of campus.
Now, only two options remain: students
have the Riverview Café until 2 p.m. and the few vending machines (if they’re not sold out of options) available to them every day on campus for food options. Thankfully, there have been events on occasion in the Main Mall that provide free food and snacks to students interested, but by and large many students need to leave campus to feed themselves.
For nursing and dental students, the lack of food options on the north side of campus is particularily frustrating since the St. Helens Bistro closed.
Thankfully, MHCC students all have
Our daily lives are controlled by sophisticated technologies in today’s world. Social media is a must for people like us to function and interact.
Social media is among the most widely used platforms, to which Gen Z users either become addicted or establish routines with that balance technology and reality. And because of their early experiences with loneliness or as a result of their heavy use of technology throughout their formative years, some social media influencers have developed an unhealthy obsession with fame and the desire to be recognized as public figures.
With ease and effectiveness, that addiction transforms into a desire for money,
and efficient way to have as a “career,” from mental illness. Aside from the money, there’d be no positive outcomes for the influencers themselves. Especially how it turned insanely difficult after the COVID pandemic happened with social media.
That often leads to mental illness. Aside from the money, there’d be no positive outcomes for the influencers themselves. Especially how it turned insanely difficult after the COVID pandemic happened with social media.
Children of ages 4 and up in the present world are harmed by the effect of constant screen time when there is no discipline for time limits. It’s not the parents’ fault, due to their jobs and or other factors, but it’s fair to say that it becomes toxic enough where kids
are hooked. And once they grow up to be teens and/or young adults, then social media and or any social platforms like YouTube, for instance, are like heroin mixed with cocaine.
All teens want to do is attract immense attention, only to their convenience. Now it has grown where they know the system by using social media as an escape card from the real world. As teens experience reality, they are more likely invested on the screen to somehow in their minds tell them to drop
It sounds like a joke sometimes and it can be made fun of, but it doesn’t turn out to be hilarious anymore when it is a real, big decision. It is nice and convenient to make money and spend on all the luxuriest things in the world, but it doesn’t happen forever when drama comes into play – Whew, it could ruin your whole reputation as celebrity
Kelley
Ashaura Espinoza
Monique
Jennifer Wilhoite
Arianna Perez-Garcia
Julisa Sanguino
access to Barney’s Pantry, an emergency food resource created by students, for students. Students can submit a Pantry request form online to select items they would like to receive in a food box, and any student on campus with a valid ID card is able to pick up food as needed from the Pantry, located in the Student Union (AC1051).
At the Advocate, we understand that it can take time to return to full in-person operation, but it doesn’t negate the fact that many students are wondering: When will some of these amenities return, and how long will we have to wait before we have more options?
As many former student hangouts sit vacant on campus, Advocate staffers are skeptical of what will actionably be accomplished in the coming months. What will return to the student experience at MHCC? And how long will we have to operate as-is?
At the Advocate, we know that the MHCC administration is invested in the student experience on campus. We’ll continue to keep the student body updated on any changes to come for food and drink options on campus.
For more photos check out advocate-online.net/ saints-want-more-choices-on-campus
and all that time growing up before your twenties has vanished for life.
Kids grow up watching YouTube their whole life, thinking that this how the world acts or is supposed to be now, as if it’s a routine planned out. The same with TikTok, a social media platform that insanely got popular from making short videos into a paid side hustle. Not just a hustle, but a career, because kids crave that fast money more than to waste time with school, which quite frankly is the opposite of the truth.
COVER PHOTO BY MARTELL MEACHAMPhoto Team Jennifer Wilhoite
Martell Meacham
Staff
Kelley Chang Ashaura Espinoza Monique Moisoiu
Jennifer Wilhoite Arianna Perez-Garcia
Julisa Sanguino Virrueta
Karuna
Howard
You can read more on
A question-and-answer interview Oct. 12 with Janet Campbell, MHCC political science instructor, about the Nov. 8 general election.
(Note: This interview has been edited and condensed.)
Advocate: Talk about the threeway race for governor [between Tina Kotek (D), Christine Drazen (R), and Betsy Johnson (“NAF” or unaffiliated)] – recent polls show a virtual tie between Kotek and Drazen, with Johnson far behind. What outcome do you see?
Campbell: I am not even going to predict whether the Democrat or Republican will win. It’s really, really, neck-and-neck. It depends, really, who turns out to vote. This is where the Supreme Court case overturning Roe V. Wade is … really going to weigh in, because if Democratic voters turn out more, then that is going to sway numerous elections.
So usually third [party] candidates don’t pull from the major parties, but in this case, I think [Johnson] might because she seems to be appealing to more Democratic voters than non-Democratic voters, even though she’s pretty mixed ideologically.
Advocate: What about [one of] the state ballot measures, such as Measure 114 on gun control?
Campbell: That’s probably going to pass. And what makes it so strict is, lots of states have similar requirements I think, but just not all of those. Some states require permits, others don’t. Some states require safety, others don’t. But the limits on the magazine rounds, very few states have actually passed that. So, the reason why [some observers are] looking at this as such strict gun control is because all … of those things are in there, which is unusual, but each individual item is not that unusual. States have been talking about them for a long time and implementing them.
Most Americans are for gun control –well over 80% want some kind of regulation on them. It’s kind of misconstrued in the media that Americans are anti-gun control laws. They are not. It’s just this rabid 20% that are. Most Americans are kind of on the same page about it. The issue is more enforceability … that’s where the people that oppose the measure aren’t opposed in principle, they are opposed pragmatically. And they are worried about the cost.
One other ballot measure you should talk about is the ability for the minority [state senators or representatives] to walk out of the
legislature [Measure 113].
It’s kind of interesting – on the one hand the [argument] that they should not be able to do that is, ‘Look, like wow, these are elected officials, they need to turn out to work and vote.’ The argument against [requiring] that … is when you have a super-majority, like the Democrats have in the state legislature currently, it means the minority party has zero power, so this is the only way they can exert any influence whatsoever. Since votes aren’t close there’s no real need for the Democrats to compromise, so [walking out] prevents a slam dunk. On the other hand, there is a reason there’s a super-majority, … the voters put them [Democrats] in there, and therefore Republicans need to follow the system … and not be obstructionist.
Advocate: For Portland city council changes, it looks like Portland voters may approve a major overhaul in the way city council runs. This would add a full-time city manager, divide the city into four geographic zones with three members per zone – and the biggest change would be ranked voting, the process designed to minimize extremists and push candidates to the middle.
What do you think about that?
Campbell: Okay, let’s start with the ranked voting. So that means that when you vote for a candidate, say five people are running, you rank them. … It eliminates extremism because very few people will pick the extremist as their No. 1 choice. By nature, the extremists will never make the top two. Especially in America, because despite what the media is portraying, we are middle of the road, we are not extremist at all. Maybe about 20% of the population is rabid but unfortunately, they’re dominating social media, they’re dominating Twitter, and they’re dominating the political scene, but that’s not really how Americans feel.
As far as the restructuring, I think voters will approve because as we all know Portland is a real mess. It’s just not working, so I think people are very desperate for a change. And normally this kind of change does not pass because voters do not like change, but in this case, I think it might.
Advocate: Any overriding thoughts on the race for U.S. House or Senate? How much of an impact has the Dobbs ruling (Roe V. Wade being overturned), Russia’s war, inflation, etc. had on these races?
Campbell: I have zero predictions because there’s two major factors. One is the Dobbs decision – if that affects voter turnout largely, it will very much influence those races. And
the second is really where Republicans are at, because the MAGA faction and traditional Republicans, they’re split, it’s about 50/50 as far as we can tell, which isn’t much.
Advocate: Yeah, the polls haven’t been too accurate about that.
QAdvocate: Yeah, as soon as somebody [president/majority party] does one thing somebody comes in just undoes it.
Campbell: That’s the wild card, right there. ‘What are Republicans going to do? Are they going to vote for these MAGA candidates or not?’ And some of them are like, ‘Okay, I’m just not going to vote,” so if that happens and then more Democrats turn out due to the Dobbs ruling, then that will really affect races. If those two effects don’t come in to play, then those races are pretty close.
The economy is weighing on people’s minds, that’s the No. 1 issue, far outweighing any other issue, and abortion for Democrats is listed in the top three issues, which indicates they might turn out to vote, but maybe not.
I mean, what really affects people to turn out, to go to vote, is how they feel that day if they don’t have a mail in ballot system, like the weather has the most effect of all. … With all those unpredictable [variables] out there it’s not going to be a normal election, that’s for sure.
Ukraine really isn’t an issue because both parties are pretty much on the same side so it’s not going to really divide candidates.
QAdvocate: What does it mean in the next two years if, say, the Democrats keep the U.S. Senate but lose the House, or what happens if they lose both the Senate and the House?
ACampbell: I’m just going to be cynical here: not much. Congress has been obstructionist, they’ve operated under obstruction for so long that… they haven’t really passed any major legislation since ‘Obama Care,’ the Affordable Care Act, and that was a long time ago. So nothing is getting done, and if that [White House/ Senate/House split] happens, nothing will continue to get done. [Congress] acted quickly on COVID and assistance to Ukraine, so when there is true bipartisan support they do act, but when there’s not bipartisan support nothing has been getting done. Immigration, health care, voting laws, those are all major issues, the Dreamers – that are long overdue for action, and it is just unfortunate.
My big hope is that voters will replace the obstructionists, but they keep voting them into office. It’s… kind of a culture that has sunk in.
ACampbell: That’s the problem with these executive orders. President Trump faced it, and also President Biden was facing it, and President Obama faced it. When Congress refuses to act, presidents are squeezed into this position where the only way they can get things done is through executive orders. And that is not good, because as you say, they can change [back] with every president, it’s not consistent, and the president wasn’t designed to carry out legislation, that’s not how the system works.
But part of me doesn’t blame any of them because if Congress isn’t going to do anything, then what are you supposed to do? And then it depends who gets in there. If we get factionalists, and I would call the MAGA folks, like the Tea Party, they were kind of antigovernment and they don’t really stand for anything. I think if some of the more extreme candidates get in there [elected], things are not going to improve. But we will see.
Janet Campbell is the sole full-time faculty in Political Science for designing and teaching Introduction to Political Science, American Government, Problems in American Politics, Comparative Governments, International Relations, Global Issues, Political Ideologies, and Political Terrorism.
Campbell also sponsors political forums, conferences, and other events on campus.
Most recently, she hosted a Zoom political forum on the Ukrainian situation on Oct. 20.
Hello, my fellow creeps and peeps! I hope your summer break was refreshing and fulfilling, and to our newcomers I want to say, welcome to MHCC!
Halloween season is upon us, and it seems to bring its own drama. I’m talking about The Try Guys, a small group of guys (Keith Habersberger, Eugene Lee Yang, Zach Kornfeld and former Try Guy Ned Fulmer) who will try pretty much anything for the audience’s entertainment. They have a worldwide fan base via YouTube and are a pretty well-liked group of dudes.
The drama took place when the
news came out that Fulmer, whose brand in the group was being a wellknown family man and loving his wife, had cheated on her. While that in itself doesn’t seem like it would be cause for news, what made it worse was that he cheated with an employee of his own company, someone who works under him.
Fulmer didn’t report his relationship to the company, which is a no-no. Then it was the group’s fans that got ahold of tangible evidence that he was having an affair and thus the waiting game began with all wondering what the Try team would do about this situation.
On Sept. 27 the Try Guys released a statement announcing Fulmer would no longer be a member of the group and soon
after released a video explaining the situation a bit more within their limits, legally. Meantime Fulmer issued a statement claiming that he “lost focus and had a consensual workplace relationship.”
While the matter is being handled, it has definitely left a bad taste in my mouth. As a Try Guys fan, because of the deceitful way Fulmer went about it and as someone who has seen what cheating does to a person, I have no respect for a person who is willing to go behind their partner’s back and do something like this. And I’m not the only fan who thinks so.
According to a piece in The Oakland Post, student newspaper for Oakland University in suburban Detroit, Michighan, “When Oakland University freshman Zena
Kissinger found out that Fulmer cheated on his wife, it hit close to home. Coming from a divorced family, Kissinger believes she knows how Fulmer’s wife, Ariel, feels.”
Kissinger told the Post, “I just know how uncomfortable Ariel and her kids must feel right now.
As each “Try Guy” molded his own image, Fulmer was known as the “Wife Guy” of the group, which is why it came as a shock to OU freshman and fan Amber Cicilian that he had been cheating on his wife.
“He just seems so deceitful in my eyes now,” said Cicilian in the Post story. “I think so many people liked him because he was so wholesome, but now he’s just completely destroyed his reputation.”
It has definitely been a huge-eye opener for me, but I also know how tragic this must be for the families and friends involved in this matter and I do hope their privacy is respected and the families involved are doing okay in all of this. “SNL” did a sketch on the scandal that might have made a few people laugh but definitely was in poor taste and should not have been shown, or at least not so soon. It just felt like SNL was downplaying the matter and making it about something that it was not, and that’s not okay.
The Try Guys have explained they are not going to replace Fulmer with fan favorite Kwesi James but instead will make the best of a bad situation and potentially feature guest appearances going forward.
Arianna PerezThe Sanderson sisters are back! Winifred, Sarah, and Mary return to Salem, Massachusetts, for revenge.
“Hocus Pocus 2” is now streaming on Disney+ this spooky season, the sequel to the 1993 “Hocus Pocus” classic with new characters and a comedic plot.
This movie begins with the younger Sanderson sisters celebrating Winifred’s 16th birthday. The younger versions of themselves are hilarious!
Of course, the town of Salem is not too fond of them, especially the Reverend. The sisters are not wanted in town and go to the forbidden woods, which only witches dare to enter. They have an encounter with a witch that gifts the sisters a spell book.
There, the sisters see the beauty of magic and powers.
Without too many spoilers, the Sanderson sisters are big on revenge at an early age.
It seems a lot of movies now are based on the “high school experience.” However, I do not know if they are portrayed accurately. I laugh when teenagers in movies have a more interesting and fun experience than I did.
The movie is set in Salem, but it is now the present day. There is a new witch trio – Becca, Izzy, and Cassie! I love how their friendship unfolds throughout the movie. Becca’s birthday and the presence of Halloween gives these girls much to celebrate in Salem.We then meet Gilbert the Great – proud owner of Olde Salem Magic Shoppe. He is one of my favorite characters, playing a big part in saving the new witch trio from the disaster that occurs, beginning with gifting
Becca a candle and angelica leaves. Becca has a birthday ritual that takes place in the forbidden woods. Let’s just say lighting the candle returned power to the Sanderson sisters. They have made their return – and with a musical debut, nonetheless! I was not expecting musical appearances, but I hope viewers enjoy them as I did.
The Sanderson sisters make it to the present day, where they
are amazed by Walgreens and skincare products – though what they really desire is revenge, even if generations have passed.
I felt worried watching the movie once Becca and Izzy are thrown down the dungeon in Gilbert’s magic shop and cannot find a way out. At that point, I was hooked and wanted to join them and not have the Sanderson sisters on the loose.The ending is
full of craziness and heartwarming moments too, surprisingly. The Sanderson sisters are not just full of revenge and evil, it seems... I will let the viewers decide that.
Coming from someone that has never watched the original Hocus Pocus, this sequel quickly became a favorite add to my fall watchlist! I recommend this movie for a family night or just a fun watch from the Disney originals catalogue.
10. Paranormal Activity – This 2007 ghost story appeared on the scene with a measly budget of $15,000 and was so popular that it spawned six additional films.
9. It (2017) – Who doesn’t love a terrifying killer clown? Let’s hope this year we don’t have a repeat of 2016 when real-life clown sight ings were mysteriously pop ping up all over the country.
8. Hellraiser – After he arrived on screen in 1987, you might say Pinhead was the first celebrity to make piercings cool.
7. Ju-On – The Japanese original is so much scarier than the American version “The Grudge” that it’s totally worth putting up with the subtitles.
6. Beetlejuice – Say the name of this movie three times and hopefully it will appear in your Halloween
movie marathon.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas – Since most stores are already putting out their winter holiday dec orations, you might as well join in the fun and have a holly, jolly Halloween.
ture Show – The second Halloween movie on this list that you can sing along with, but the only one that people traditionally dress up as the characters for. And when else will you have an opportunity to throw toilet paper at the movie screen?
4. Midsommar – If you miss the sun as much as I do this time of year, you might want to check out this delightfully disturbing horror film which takes place almost entirely in broad daylight.
3. The Shining – All work and no play means you won’t have time to watch this 1980 horror classic, so grab the family and head to a romantic, secluded hotel for a much-needed break.
2. The Rocky Horror Pic
– Bursting out of this list in the number spot is Alien, a 1979 sci-fi horror classic that originated the phrase, “In space no one can hear you scream.”
We are mostly on the other side of the pandemic, and I don’t know about y’all, but I hated looking at myself on a screen every day!
Zoom classes, meetings, hang outs, and all that, did a number on my confidence level. Waking up ev ery day, going through my normal routine, then turning on my com puter and entering a virtual meeting was rattling on its own. But then having to look at myself on a com puter screen, see what other people see, and have the will to keep your camera on was a whole other ani mal!
Every facial expression could be seen; every sneeze, cough, yawn, rolling of the eyes (all the time), hair out of place, and so on, could be seen
by any one of those strangers on that screen. We didn’t have to wear pants, but we did have the chance of our faces being under scrutiny every second we were on camera.
When I didn’t have my cam era on, I was paranoid it was on! Technology fails us left and right, so I always assumed someone could see me unless I was fully out of the room, but then I could be seen as not participating or absent. There was no winning unless you went to the bathroom ahead of time, had every thing prepared, cleared all dust out of the room and turned up the ther mostat so you wouldn’t sneeze… the whole nine yards.
What we could always count on, though, and what you would likely not be prepared for, was the eyes of someone on a pimple that decided to show itself within the hours of that
meeting, bags under your eyes from a bad night’s sleep, a bad hair day, a reflection in the window showing you had no pants on... the list could go on forever.
One good thing that I was able take out of that experience, though, was my hair and personal style are now better than I think they ever have been. Between the excitement of being back in-person at class es and meetings, and the recogni tion of less self-confidence in front of people during the Zoom ages, I started working on my style more than I have in the past. I worked on it starting in the Zoom ages, so once we were back in-person, my confi dence level also shot up – I was not a confident person, I’ve faked it most of my life. I still feel like I’m faking it most of the time, but at least I’m benefiting from it.
I think my people skills probably benefited from the experience, as well. Probably because I realized that not being able to hang out with a lot of people during the pandemic was so depressing. I realized how much I hated being alone and wanted to be around people. Coming out of that
experience with a better person al style, and the recognition of my need for people, my confidence shot up and with that came being able to talk to people without crippling anx iety.
Why did the confidence shoot up? Because I was determined to make some damn friends and be free from isolation.
I hope that you all have also found something you can be happy about coming out of this pandemic. Whether it’s gaining some serious gardening skills, creating some great new recipes, having a chance to take some classes and gain a skill or start a new life chapter, maybe adopting a pet, creating a fun living space, any thing!
I think we can all find something to be grateful for, if we choose to.
Art is something that comes in many forms. Some we can see with our eyes, some we can smell, and some we can feel with our hands.
One thing is for sure: Beauty and appreciation are in the eyes of the beholder. What makes art is the ability to create and capture emotion – sometimes pride, sometimes sadness, and sometimes love. It also is said that art, or the artist who creates it, are sometimes so powerful that just looking at a painting or listening to music can bring some individuals to tears.
Discussion of art appreciation brings me to the subject of one of our own, MHCC student Aquilina Larkins, who is majoring in photography and is on her way to earning an associate art degree.
If we talk about creativity or artistic vision, seeing Aquilina’s work has left me speechless, with a medley of intrigue and emotions. I’ve witnessed myself the sheer power of a true artist with their craft, their magic, moving people. The Avengers and the X-men have their super powers; Larkins has her camera.
Besides her studies, she is working as a professional photographer with hopes of opening her own studio. She’s professionally
done gigs like portraits for friends and loved ones, weddings, and other festivals, most of her work coming from word-of-mouth. Recently her sports photo made the front page of the Advocate, with rave reviews.
Looking at her wedding or family pictures, you can’t help but feel as if you were there. The joy in the bride’s face is just captivating, for instance. The photos taken of athletes in competition captures the sheer aura of victory that surrounds the winners.
As I’ve said before, “Aquilina is Utopia,” a title deriving from the emotion I feel looking at her work.
When asked how she produced such captivating pictures, Larkins said she’s been taking pictures since she was in grade school. Fast forward 10 years, and here she is. As for anyone who influenced her photography, she said some YouTube (very little) content, but mostly she self-taught and experienced years of trial-and-error.
“Good things don’t just come to us; we have to make it happen,” is a creed she lives by, she said.
Still, when asked who is the biggest influencer today, she said the person who refined a lot of her skills was Mt. Hood photography instructor David Strohl.
From my viewpoint, the photography program here at MHCC is one of the tops in
the region. I’m not talking about the facilities or the equipment – that’s just as good as any other program. I’m referring to the Integrated Media instructors and support staff.
As head of Mt. Hood’s photography faculty, Strohl said, “Our main goal is is to further develop our students’ futures in photography as well as other aspects in life – [since] it’s a competitive market. We teach lighting, sharpening skills, and storytelling.”
To recount Strohl’s own experience and teaching credentials we have to go back 12 years or so. He started teaching at the Art Institute of Austin, Texas then accepted a job at MHCC nine years ago. During his time as a professional photographer his work was recognized by the prestigious Communication Arts group (an organization that recognizes top illustrative and design artists throughout Europe as well as the U.S. and Canada.
He describes his own artistic values with nouns such as “community” and “celebration.”
Strohl also heads the video content creation section within the photography department.
As for the IM program, he said, “I will teach my students everything about photography and all the unexpected career paths that are available.”
Building off his own experience, “If the
student is willing, like Aquilina, I teach them technical skills and creativity [so that] once they’re through the program they will be ready to work as a professional.”
Strohl still has regular art exhibits, which readers are encouraged to judge for themselves. And a simple Integrated Media mantra that leads to success: “Be nice, work hard, and wear the right shoes.”
The returning NWAC softball Champs are back in full swing (so far as fall preseason practice and practice games), being led by veteran head coach Brittany Hendrickson. They are hoping for a repeat of a near-perfect season and championship they earned last spring.
The departure of Most Valuable Player Haley Davis will truly be felt but the show must go on, and I have no doubt that another title for the Saints is on the horizon.
The team is in good hands with their coaching staff. Hendrickson is no stranger to winning softball. Coaching at Mt. Hood for her seventh year, the former standout player for Portland State University
and three-time all-league offensive MVP has the formula to put out a winning program.
Returning players that were pivotal to last year’s success include team captain and heavy hitter at second base, Matlyn Leetch, boasting a .543 batting average and school record single-season 101 hits. “Hey Hey” was named to the Northwest Athletic Conference’s first team for the South Region.
Leetch hails out of Medford, Oregon, and while undecided on a career path is currently studying Pre-Med with an impressive 3.7 GPA.
Steering the Saints from the pitching rubber are the dynamic duo of Alexia Geary and Marley Johnson. Geary, a starting pitcher, has a fastball clocked at 58 mph with an impressive 147 strikeouts
last season. When she’s not playing pitcher, she plays first base.
Geary is a hometown girl, hailing from Gresham, and was named to the Mount Hood Conference first team in both 2017 and 2018, pitching for Sam Barlow High School. She’s currently studying dental hygiene and is on her way to receiving her certifications in that field.
“Mayday” Marley, as we all joked so far as a nickname, is the Saints’ primary relief pitcher, sharing time with Geary. When not playing pitcher, she’s what Hendrickson calls a utility player – a player that can play at a high level at more than one position.
Johnson is a star pitcher in her own right. Growing up in Portland, she was named to all-conference PIL (Portland Interscholastic League)
teams during her freshman and junior years. She is currently taking general studies, as yet undecided as far as a major for her degree.
Looking forward to putting fall practice on the field for next spring’s season, Hendrickson said, “‘We’re excited; we will be the hardest working team in the NWAC.” She described her winning formula for success in softball as “building relationships that go beyond the field so [players] have support in life and not just in softball,” including planning many team-building events.
The coach makes it a point to check in on her players in the offseason to make sure they’re doing okay, and offers assistance in any way she can.
That includes help as far as furthering their futures as an
athlete and playing at a higher level, whether it’s at another school or even professionally.
“I connect them with four-year universities; I have connections with other coaches from other institutions,” she said. “I’ll call other coaches to come and have a look at one of my players or sometimes I’ll even take them myself to another school’s practice field to tryouts and whatnot.”
In short, Hendrickson said she’s “ecstatic” about Mt. Hood’s squad and its chance to stay on top of the NWAC. It’s clear the returning champs are looking to wreak havoc on the opposing teams once again. Here’s to seeing you at the games, come spring!
It’s been a long two-to-three years of anticipation for our Mt. Hood Saints volleyball team. We’ve all been waiting to have sports competition again, with wide-open gym doors for fans, for the first time since 2019.
The current season is underway, and we can feel the excitement, as the Saints are (as of Oct. 20) tied for fourth place in the South Region, battling for a playoff spot in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC).
At the head of the team is Kirsten “Kirt” Day, Mt. Hood head coach. In her third year as the Saints’ leader, she is no stranger to MHCC and Saints volleyball: as a playing member of the NWAC volleyball champs two years in a row, 1983 and 1984, she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge.
When asked what her goals were, as far as the team and its players, Day replied education and schooling were the No. 1 emphasis, then added, “I coach them to compete at a higher level and a consistent level. I get them to move on to better opportunities in volleyball.”
She does what she can to help her players on the next step of their journey. She’s written letters of recommendations to other colleges on behalf of her players, and has connections with institutions like Portland State and Oregon State
universities where she’s recommended they look at some of her players.
In the tough South Region, the Saints have a battle vying for a playoff spot, their hopes resting on the performances of what I’ll call the “Treacherous 3,” a trio of returning veteran players known as “super sophomores” (due to COVID, players across the NWAC are being given a third year to complete their eligibility).
At the head of the trio is and middle blocker Josie Jansen, who hails from Sandy and was an all-Mount Hood Conference all-league selection in high school. At Mt. Hood she’s majoring in respiratory care and currently holds a 3.7 GPA.
Jansen holds an impressive record (through Oct. 20) of 157 kills at 3.27 kills per set. Last season she was twice named offensive player of the week. When asked what inspires her, she replied, “I’m grateful to play another year and I get to play in front of our fans [this season].”
Our next player, termed the workhorse of the team by her coach, is none other than Oriana Levasa. She comes from Nanakuli, Hawaii, what we islanders nicknamed “the Wes Side” of Oahu, and attended Kapolei High School. She is taking general studies for now but is pondering a major in the healthcare field.
Levasa is termed a 6-rotational player, which basically is someone who plays the whole game, never rotating out, thus
being known as the workhorse of the team. Asked to describe her aspirations, she replied “YOLO… We only live once.” When asked her to describe her teammates she said, “DEVASTATING … VANDALIZING… SPIKER.” (I interpret that as “DVS,” pronounced “devious”).
In any type of sport at any level, it is said that defense wins championships. Among the Saints’ top defenders is Grace Ormiston. She plays a position called “libero” – for those who don’t know, that’s normally someone who plays in the back of the court where there’s room for digs or pancakes, normally held by one of the best defensive player on the team. In fact, she has totalled nearly 200 digs already this season (through Oct. 20).
Ormiston came to Mt. Hood from Vancouver, Washington, and is in line to earn her associate degree in biology, with a solid 3.5 GPA. Last season Ormiston was voted recipient of the honorable sportsmanship award by the Mt Hood athletic department.
The Saints have their work cut for them, with homecourt matches still coming the next two Friday evenings, Oct. 28 against Umpqua Community College and Nov. 4 against Clark College.
They would love our students’ support!