the advocate, issue 9, november 16, 2012

8
the The independent student voice of Mt. Hood Community College advocate Gresham, Oregon | November 16, 2012 | Volume 48, Issue 9 WWW.ADVOCATE-ONLINE.NET See “Center” on Page 4 LET THE LINES BEGIN WITH BLACK FRIDAY AROUND JUST AROUND THE CORNER, STUDENTS AND RETAIL VETERANS WEIGH IN. CROSS COUNTRY: WOMEN TAKE 5TH OVERALL; MEN TAKE 9TH page 8 Jeff Hannig and Kayla Tatum The Advocate MHCC’s Tutoring Center is a center for learning: Students learn from tutors, tutors learn from lead tutors, and some tutors even go on to become learning specialists. The drop-in center, on the upper floor reached by stairs inside the Library, has been helpful for many students over the years and has inspired some students to become a tutor. Some tutors who currently work in the tutoring center have once been in the shoes of the MHCC students they now help. During his freshman year at MHCC, math tutor Sebastian Baldivieso used the tutoring center for help in his coursework. He now is a junior at Portland State University and is involved in PSU’s math program. He said he became interested in becoming a math tu- tor during his first year at MHCC: “I eventually asked, ‘What were the requirements?’ ” Although Baldivieso attends college in downtown Portland, he continues to dedicate his time to tutor MHCC students in all levels of math. “I like helping people. I just want to give back the knowledge that I gained,” he said. That includes helping students cope with exams, during and at the end of courses. “People struggle at math during midterm times, because as you advance in the course, you start acquiring new information. And as it progresses and the midterm comes, you kind of forget it,” Baldivieso said. While midterms and final exams can be stressful, there are many success stories for MHCC math students, he said: “I’ve seen a lot of people start at Math 60, 65 (who) now are taking calculus and statistics.” The tutoring center commonly serves as a place where students do homework. Alex Brown, a second-year MHCC student, is one of many students tutored by Baldivieso. “I do a little bit of studying, running through everything I’ve learned,” Brown said. “I do my homework here, because if I have any questions I can get my answers from Tutoring Center teaches students and tutors alike NWAACC tournament page 5 TURKEY UP, FOLKS THERE ARE NO CLASSES WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NEXT WEEK AND NO ISSUE OF THE ADVOCATE IN OBSER- VANCE OF THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. Cameron Miller The Advocate Former MHCC dean and instructor Robert Wesley died Nov. 8 due to lung can- cer-related illness, the campus community learned this week. Besides teaching, Wesley served as dean of the science division and as vice president of instructional services before he retired in the mid-1990s. Current instructors and staff members said Wesley’s chief legacy was that he was student-oriented and always strived to ex- ceed goals and standards. Brenda Brady, IT project & portfolio manager for MHCC, worked alongside Wesley. “He was a very supportive person and kind of a mentor in some way,” she said. “He was all about helping people. We talk a lot about having the students at the center of our decisions, and he verbalized that a lot.” Not only did Wesley have this effect on staff and his colleagues, but also on stu- dents. Karen Reynolds, now the MHCC en- vironment health and safety manager, was once his student. She praised his teaching style. “He had this ability to be totally fo- cused on you, he had a very good grasp of where you were at and what your potential was,” she said. Wesley came to MHCC as a part-time in- structor in the early 1970s when the college was beginning to grow. His work helped lift the reputation of the science department. According to an e-mail sent by a long-time friend and colleague, Gil Albelo, “the divi- sion gained a reputation for excellence in teaching, with a student-oriented faculty that performed beyond expectations.” Albelo currently is a part-time instruc- tor at MHCC and worked with Wesley for many years. He grew to admire not only his colleague’s career, but also his character. “I admired Bob’s diligence, his commit- ment to excellence in the classroom, his cre- ativity. He helped to create an environment in which instructors felt a need to go the ex- tra mile in order to create the best learning Former dean and instructor remembered as a key role model Wesley, center, and his fellow science departments associates. Contributed Photo See “Wesley” on Page 3 Photo by Jonathon Long/The Advocate The Saints swept Wenatchee Valley (25-17, 25-16, 25-17) at their opener on Thursday. The Saints are hosting the NWAACC tournament, which goes from Thursday through Sunday. For more information, see page 8.

Upload: the-advocate

Post on 25-Mar-2016

214 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

DESCRIPTION

The Advocate, the student voice of Mt Hood Community College for over 47 years.

TRANSCRIPT

theThe independent student voice of

Mt. Hood Community College

advocate Gresham, O regon | Novembe r 16 , 2012 | Vo l ume 48 , I s sue 9

WWW.ADVOCATE -ONL INE .NE T

advocateadvocate

See “Center” on Page 4

LET THE LINES BEGINWITH BLACK FRIDAY AROUND JUST AROUND THE CORNER, STUDENTS AND RETAIL VETERANS WEIGH IN.

CROSS COUNTRY:WOMEN TAKE 5TH OVERALL; MEN TAKE 9TH

page 8

Jeff Hannig and Kayla TatumThe Advocate

MHCC’s Tutoring Center is a center for learning: Students learn from tutors, tutors learn from lead tutors, and some tutors even go on to become learning specialists.

The drop-in center, on the upper fl oor reached by stairs inside the Library, has been helpful for many students over the years and has inspired some students to become a tutor. Some tutors who currently work in the tutoring center have once been in the shoes of the MHCC students they now help.

During his freshman year at MHCC, math tutor Sebastian Baldivieso used the tutoring center for help in his coursework. He now is a junior at Portland State University and is involved in PSU’s math program. He said he became interested in becoming a math tu-tor during his fi rst year at MHCC: “I eventually asked, ‘What were the requirements?’ ”

Although Baldivieso attends college in downtown Portland, he continues to dedicate his time to tutor MHCC students in all levels of math.

“I like helping people. I just want to give back the knowledge that I gained,” he said.That includes helping students cope with exams, during and at the end of courses.

“People struggle at math during midterm times, because as you advance in the course, you start acquiring new information. And as it progresses and the midterm comes, you kind of forget it,” Baldivieso said.

While midterms and fi nal exams can be stressful, there are many success stories for MHCC math students, he said: “I’ve seen a lot of people start at Math 60, 65 (who) now are taking calculus and statistics.”

The tutoring center commonly serves as a place where students do homework. Alex Brown, a second-year MHCC student, is one of many students tutored by Baldivieso.

“I do a little bit of studying, running through everything I’ve learned,” Brown said. “I do my homework here, because if I have any questions I can get my answers from

Tutoring Center teaches students and tutors alike

NWAACC tournament

page 5

TURKEY UP, FOLKSTHERE ARE NO CLASSES WEDNESDAY

THROUGH FRIDAY NEXT WEEK AND NO

ISSUE OF THE ADVOCATE IN OBSER-

VANCE OF THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.

Cameron MillerThe Advocate

Former MHCC dean and instructor Robert Wesley died Nov. 8 due to lung can-cer-related illness, the campus community learned this week.

Besides teaching, Wesley served as dean of the science division and as vice president of instructional services before he retired in the mid-1990s.

Current instructors and staff members said Wesley’s chief legacy was that he was student-oriented and always strived to ex-ceed goals and standards.

Brenda Brady, IT project & portfolio manager for MHCC, worked alongside Wesley. “He was a very supportive person and kind of a mentor in some way,” she said. “He was all about helping people. We talk a lot about having the students at the center of our decisions, and he verbalized

that a lot.”Not only did Wesley have this effect on

staff and his colleagues, but also on stu-dents. Karen Reynolds, now the MHCC en-

vironment health and safety manager, was once his student. She praised his teaching style. “He had this ability to be totally fo-cused on you, he had a very good grasp of

where you were at and what your potential was,” she said.

Wesley came to MHCC as a part-time in-structor in the early 1970s when the college was beginning to grow. His work helped lift the reputation of the science department. According to an e-mail sent by a long-time friend and colleague, Gil Albelo, “the divi-sion gained a reputation for excellence in teaching, with a student-oriented faculty that performed beyond expectations.”

Albelo currently is a part-time instruc-tor at MHCC and worked with Wesley for many years. He grew to admire not only his colleague’s career, but also his character.

“I admired Bob’s diligence, his commit-ment to excellence in the classroom, his cre-ativity. He helped to create an environment in which instructors felt a need to go the ex-tra mile in order to create the best learning

Former dean and instructor remembered as a key role model

Wesley, center, and his fellow science departments associates.

Contr

ibuted

Photo

See “Wesley” on Page 3

Photo

by Jo

natho

n Lon

g/Th

e Adv

ocate

The Saints swept Wenatchee Valley (25-17, 25-16, 25-17) at their opener on Thursday. The Saints are hosting the NWAACC tournament, which goes from Thursday through Sunday. For more information, see page 8.

OpinionNov. 16, 20122

Co-Editors-in-ChiefJohn Tkebuchava & Mike Mata

Associate EditorKylie Rogers

Living Arts EditorShelby Schwartz

Assistant Living Arts EditorDorothy Ocacio

Opinion EditorJeff Hannig

News EditorMike Mata

Sports EditorJohn Tkebuchava

Copy EditorsKylie Rogers & Dorothy Ocacio

WebmasterLogan Scott

Photo EditorJeff Hannig

Mt. Hood Community College26000 SE Stark Street

Gresham, Oregon 97030

E-mail [email protected]

www.advocate-online.net

503-491-7250 (Main)

503-491-7413 (Offi ce)

503-591-6064 (Fax)

SubmissionsThe Advocate encourages readers to share their opinion by

letters to the editor and guest columns for publication. All submissions must be typed and include the writer’s name and contact information. Contact information will not be printed unless requested. Original copies will not be returned to the author. The Advocate will not print any unsigned submission.

Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and guest columns should not exceed 600. The decision to publish is at the discretion of the editorial board.

The Advocate reserves the right to edit for style, punctuation, grammar and length.

Please bring submissions to The Advocate in Room 1369, or e-mail them to [email protected]. Submissions must be received by 5 p.m. Monday the week of publication to be considered for print.

Opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do not necessarily refl ect those of The Advocate or MHCC.

the advocateDaniele Caldwell

Katelyn Hilsenbeck

Brandon Kissir

Shaun Lutz

Aaron Marshall

Cameron Miller

Danny Perez-Crouse

Lisa Sorenson

Kayla Tatum

Jackie Garrity

ReportersTyler Heyl

Jonathon Long

Photographers

Howard Buck

Dan Ernst

Bob Watkins

Advisers

Editorial: Black Friday is awful(ly) great for everyone involved

Next week, swarms of sleepy eyed, un-showered, coffee guzzling, strung-out, paja-ma-suited zombies again will fill the aisles of every big-box store across the nation. But, will they do it Thanksgiving night or on the traditional Black Friday? Either way, we’re excited.

Black Friday’s seductive power is strong enough to convince victims to camp, lit-erally camp, outside a store in one of the coldest months of the year, (depending on how “hardcore the wind is,” says one of our editor-in-chiefs) at one of the coldest times

of the day, to buy one particular item, more commonly known as a “door buster.”

The word itself implies chaos – splin-tered wood, shattered glass, zombie-like persistence, increased vision, cannibal-like rationality – and still people band together in the dark, out front of box stores across America because of these door busters. It’s hard to talk about door busters and not think of the Tickle-Me Elmo craze, or the hoards of gamers that line up for the newest first-person shooter of their choice. Last year it was flat-screen televisions at discounts that

were apparently too good to miss. For some, the four days now associated

with Black Friday (i.e., Thursday through Sunday) are relentlessly sucking up tradi-tion and effectively wringing the last of the warmth from this holiday. It’s a lumbering beast, dragging its claws, marking a war-path leading to a nation largely unaware of any holiday before Black Friday, door bust-ers, 80 percent-off deals and doors that open at 5 a.m.

For others, Black Friday is simply a fun way to save on holiday shopping. It’s a

new tradition that is embraced, an event looked forward to all year, and quite pos-sibly, a more practical way for a family to bond than turkey carving and gravy boat passing.

However you choose to spend your Thanksgiving, it has been a win for retail-ers in the past. Last year, more than 226 million shoppers jumped online or rushed out for BF weekend, spending a total $52.4 billion. That was $398.62 a person, the most since 2008, according to a CNNMon-ey.com story on BF 2011.

This kind of spending should be good for the economy, right? Yet, in the same CNN article, retailers were reported as saying the key is “to keep customers com-ing back in.” In the past, retailers often have reported a sales slump after BF.

We think people should do whatever is best for them and their families – just as long as they don’t hurt, steal from, or dam-age anyone or anything in the process.

Is the steady increase of BF attendees a sign of smarter or more desperate shop-pers? Are people becoming more willing to stand in the cold at 5 a.m. because it’s fun, or because it’s the only way they can afford to get their family everything they want this holiday?

Walmart will open at 10 p.m. on Thanks-giving, Toys ‘R’ Us will open at 9 p.m., while Best Buy and Radio Shack are also listed as starting their online Black Friday sales on Thursday, also. Get out there. Take pictures. Post them on our Facebook page.

William MillerASG President

As many of you have perhaps noticed, the start of this fall term marked an official change of our College Center facility name to the “Student Union.” We understand that this may have raised some questions, so to-gether we wanted to take an opportunity to share some information about this develop-ment.

Consideration of this name change be-gan last spring when the Facilities Coun-cil’s Way-Finding Sub-committee began the process of improving the signage installed throughout the Gresham Campus. As that committee sought feedback from various stakeholders, our Associated Student Gov-ernment (ASG) and area staff raised the

questions, “Why the name ‘College Center’? And why not call it something that coveys a stronger focus on students and community unity?”

We deliberated this question with con-sideration to historical and geographical rationale. Comparisons to some of the peer colleges around the region and nation were also conducted. These discussions resulted in the proposal to shift the name to the Stu-dent Union, which was ultimately approved by President Hay and his Cabinet.

Our students, along with diverse staff and other stakeholders throughout campus, have responded with enthusiasm for the name change, something we hope you share as well. Students and staff have worked hard to create an inviting Student Union at-mosphere, one where our entire community

feels valued and well-served. We welcome you to help celebrate some of these exciting developments and experience all that your Student Union has to offer!

Also, scheduled to launch in 2013, MHCC’s first diversity resource center - a collaboration between MHCC and ASG to help support and further cultivate the rich diversity that characterizes our College, our students, and our community that we serve. More details coming throughout fall and into winter term!

The MHCC Student Union is open 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Fridays through-out the school year. For a complete list of the Student Union’s newest features please visit the Advocate website.

Guest Column:

ASG President backs decision to change name for College Center Look to advocate-online.net for a Web Exclusive

guest column: “Plight of the Tiger”

Illustr

ation

by Je

ff Ha

nnig/

The A

dvoc

ate

3Newsthe advocate

Katelyn HilsenbeckThe Advocate

An MHCC club is helping to put a roof over homeless families’ heads through Habitat for Humanity.

“Empowering individuals to provide compassionate, skilled and professional mental health and social services for people in their communities,” is the mission statement of the Mental Health and Human Service (M.H.H.S.) club, and they strive to do just that.

About 20 club members and other MHCC volunteers will join a homebuilding project on Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Southeast 106th Avenue and Stark Street.

M.H.H.S. club Vice President Tamara Young said, “It’s pretty exciting when you get so many people together for one project, for one goal. You can get a lot done.

“The volunteers will be doing anything from construction, to painting, to cleaning up. Whatever they need us to do we’re able to do,” Young said.

To register online for Saturday’s event, see http://pdx.volunteerhub.com. The “join code” is “Hood.”

Habitat for Humanity was the first organization to respond to a mass e-mail from the club inquiring about local volunteer opportunities. Habitat has expressed the ability to set up another build event for MHCC volunteers whenever interest is expressed.

“If you want to volunteer, one person or 20, they want you,” said Young.The M.H.H.S. club chose to join this event to respond to the immediate need for housing

for homeless families. In the past the club has fed the homeless, run raffle events, organized clothing and food

drives and has sponsored a family for Christmas. This year the club has sponsored four at-risk youths from a local high school, to whom

they will provide Christmas presents. The club has existed more than 15 years. Club adviser Leslie Allen said its overall goal

” is to offer an environment where first and second year students in the mental health and human service program can come together to decide how they would maybe like to give service to the community, or sometimes to each other, too.”

Club officers also provide tutoring to first-year students to “make sure they have a foun-dation to build on and move forward,” said Young.

She said the club hopes to team with other clubs and plan future joint events. The M.H.H.S. club meets at noon every Wednesday this term, in room AC2700. The club

is open to anyone from MHCC and Young encourages anyone interested to attend meetings and be involved.

For more information about the M.H.H.S. program and club, visit http://www.mhcc.edu/mentalhealth/.

Jackie GarrityThe Advocate

The Oregon general election Nov. 6 featured four can-didates with ties to MHCC, from the state level all the way down to local city councils. Two have apparently won, while a third awaits the final vote count.

Zach Hudson, an MHCC reading and writing instructor who can add “graphic novel author” to his credits. is locked in a close race against John Wilson for Troutdale City Council Position 6. As of Wednesday at 4:15 p.m., Hudson trailed by just 10 votes and the election has not officially been called.

Hudson said his MHCC work did not shape his plat-forms for his candidacy. “Being a teacher has not influenced any specific issue at the city level,” he said.

However, Hudson urged MHCC students to be political-ly aware and active. “There are certain issues (they) should be knowledgeable about, not just because they are students

but because they live in a city, a county and a state,” he said. “They can each have a voice in each of those, if they choose to get involved.”

Chris Gorsek, an MHCC geography and criminal justice instructor, has won an Oregon House seat representing the 49th District. The Democrat leads with 54 percent, or 10,984 votes, to 46 percent, or 9,291 votes, for Republican incum-bent Matt Wand, a former MHCC student.

Gorsek was a Portland police officer for seven years, starting on the east side, before he started teaching at MHCC. He eventually earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in urban studies at Portland State University.

He said his top priority is funding for public schools. He cites a need to invest in community colleges and the state university system to help provide students with the skills needed to compete for well-paying and high-tech jobs.

Tamie Tlustos-Arnold, who served as MHCC Associated Student Government president in 1994-95, holds a very nar-row lead in a tight battle for Fairview City Council Position

6.As of Wednesday, she led incumbent Brian Cooper by

just 25 votes, out of just over 2,500 ballots cast.During her time as ASG president, Tlustos-Arnold trav-

eled to Washington D.C., to advocate for student funding. This year, she ran in Fairview on a platform of “the status quo has got to go.” She owns and operates a local pilates studio and is active on several school parent-teacher com-mittees and with the Girl Scouts of America.

Maggie Nelson, a current MHCC District board member, was defeated in her bid for a 47th District Oregon House seat. Her Democratic opponent, Jessica Vega Pederson, leads with 65 percent (11,894 votes) to 35 percent (6,478 votes) for Nelson, a Republican.

Nelson taught for 20 years prior to joining the MHCC board, winning election in 2010. Her main campaign plat-form this autumn was job creation. She also cited a need for stable school funding and increased financial aid programs, looking to private foundations as sponsors where possible.

Mental health club helps out Habitat for Humanity

MHCC-linked candidates win, lose in local elections

The domestic violence presentation from the MHCC criminal justice department has been resched-uled for Nov. 27.

The free presentation will be in the Visual Arts

Theater at 8:30 p.m.The event was originally scheduled for Nov. 15.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month was recognized in October.

Look for a fresh Advocate Nov. 30

environment you could,” Albelo said.Looking back, Albelo stated, “The legacy he left is

that there was an expectation that we would go be-yond what was professionally required to improve the student’s learning.” Albelo further reflected on Wesley’s time here: “I personally had great admira-tion for Bob, I tried to emulate him and I strongly be-lieve that it’s people like Bob Wesley who make insti-tutions great,” he said.

Rick Bolesta, MHCC dean of science, remembers stories about Wesley: “I asked him once what his hob-bies were and his answer was ‘Mt. Hood Community

College.’ You could tell he cared about the college,” Bolesta said. He said Wesley impacted his life. “I’m a product of his leadership and his work ethics and standards. He was a role model for me. In a sense, I am here trying to pass that baton on and lead people by example. It’s important to maintain good quality and educational standards,” he said.

Albelo captured collective thoughts well in an e-mail sent to several staff members: “He (Wesley) rep-resents the best of the second generation, those hired after the college was founded. Although he is gone, his legacy will live on at MHCC.”

Wesley: Legacy of strong work ethicContinued from Page 1

Domestic violence presentation postponed

News4Nov. 16, 2012

(the tutors).”Brown has previously taken a chemistry course. He said

chemistry and math students seem to use the tutoring center most. Now taking Calculus 4, Brown recites some words of advice: “Take the tutors’ word, math makes more sense the further you go.”

Brown might major in chemical engineering, but hasn’t decided yet. Meantime, he continues to take challenging courses and seek tutors’ help. “They are very patient [and] if they don’t know how to answer your question, they will help you fi nd out,” he said.

Students new to the drop-in center can identify tutors by the lanyards they wear. Sometimes, it’s easier to look for the one tutor that looks the most popular: everyone is looking to them for help. Typically, a drop-in student who needs assis-tance will sit and raise a fl ag to signal available tutors, much like the fl ag on a mailbox that holds outgoing mail.

But, who do tutors ask when they have a question?Anika Baker-Lawrence has been an MHCC tutor for fi ve

years and is a lead tutor. As a tutor with more experience, Baker-Lawrence takes responsibility to teach less experi-enced tutors how to more effectively help students.

“We want to instill in tutors that students are not seek-ing (merely) answers, but understanding,” said Baker-

Lawrence. With hopes to become a doctor, Baker-Lawrence was in

school and volunteered at a medical clinic for four months. She realized she was more interested in working to prevent, than in helping to fi x. Now a PSU student, she wants to be-come a biology professor.

“I’ve seen them (MHCC students) struggle here in the tutoring center and then seen them (attending) PSU,” she said. “It’s a very special moment, a smile of recognition or they’ll come up and ask if I remember them.”

“I always do,” she said.She tries to help people realize the importance of their

education, she said: not just to pass a class, but also to be-come a lifelong learner.

Next to the drop-in Tutoring Center, its MHCC neigh-bor and partner in the fi ght against test anxiety is the Learn-ing Success Center, where students can schedule individual one-hour appointments with a learning specialist.

Megan Jones is a math specialist in her fi rst year at MHCC.

“A lot of people have a math phobia: They think that it’s a small group of people that can (really) do it,” Jones said. She disagrees with this idea and has not seen evidence to support it.

“Some students will maybe fl unk their fi rst test, come in here with no confi dence, or start in Math 10, but wind up going on to calculus,” Jones said. “It doesn’t matter where you start, as long as you put the time in, you can ‘get it.’ ”

Jones’ advice for students to succeed is to give them-selves two-to-three hours for studying each week per credit they take. Not being realistic when signing up for classes is a reoccurring problem she sees.

Some other specifi c steps Jones suggests:Make an appointment with a learning specialistDrop into the tutoring centerDo a little bit of homework and studying every day.

“Tests are not a one-time thing.”Use your teacher’s offi ce hours. While tutors are an ex-

cellent resource, your teacher knows where you stand, and what is expected for the class. They can assign extra practice specifi c to what is going on in class.

Attend a Student Success Seminar – a list of seminars is at the bottom of the MHCC library stairs, or you can get a copy at the drop-in tutoring center.

Hours of operation at the Learning Success Center and its drop-in Tutoring Center are: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m to 4 p.m. Friday; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Continued from page 1:

Tutoring center offers learning opportunities for all

John TkebuchavaThe Advocate

New member Paul Capell was sworn in and two part-time faculty members were honored at Wednesday’s MHCC district board meeting.

Capell is replacing former board member Ralph Yates, who resigned in early Septem-ber. Capell will fi ll the position at least until the spring, when public elections for the positions will be held.

After being sworn in, Capell said, “I’m look-ing forward to working with the board and staff for the betterment of the college.”

Chairman Dave Shields also spoke briefl y on the passing of Robert Wesley, a former MHCC instructor who died last week, at the start of the meeting.

“He was steadfast, direct and dedicated to students,” Shields said of Wesley.

“We have sent our condolences to his family,” he said.

After the board approved the consent agenda, Christie Pilinski introduced part-time faculty award winners Zach Hudson and Andy Gurev-ich. The two were then presented with their awards by Shields.

Following the ceremony, Michael Hay an-nounced during the president’s report that en-rollment through Wednesday was down about 29 full-time-equivalent students.

At the end of the meeting, member Rod Mon-roe announced that after his term ends in July, he will not run for re-election.

“I decided to bow to the needs and wishes of people close to me and have decided not to run for re-election,” said Monroe.

Monroe is serving his second four-year term and has been a part of the board since 2005.

Following the regular meeting, the board re-cessed into executive session to “consider the matters of labor negotiations.”

The next board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Dec. 12.

New board member sworn in

Photo

by Lo

gan S

cott/

The A

dvoca

te

Sunshine made an afternoon appearance this week. It warmed the new outdoor seating area outside of the Student Union.

Sunshine shows itself on campus

Feature 5the advocate

$$$$$$

$$$$$$$$

from the perspective of people who work it

Tension and anger fi ll the air, the static electric-ity it creates ready to spark tempers and incite vio-lence. Year after year we see the stories about shop-pers having lost their lives. I try my best not to leave my house on that day.

Unfortunately, I have worked with the pub-lic for over 20 years and have worked on that day most years. Don’t get me wrong, most of the year people are decent to customer service workers. But on Black Friday, all the assholes that don’t usually

come in, do. Whether I was working as a baker, server, sales rep or clerk, the scene got ugly.

People want to get the best gifts at the best price. They come in mad because they didn’t get what they wanted then take it out on everyone who crosses their path. Customer service workers are a ripe target for customers like this because most of the time the worker won’t respond. Working with the public can really suck.

The point is, all of the jerks crawl out of the woodwork on Black Friday. Most decent people stay home – but those brave enough to face the perils of the day are the bright spots in an other-wise horrid day. The customers who come in with Christmas cards and little gifts are reminders of the spirit of Christmas.

Christmas shouldn’t be about how much you spend and what you get. Possessions wear out, break or get lost or stolen. They’re temporary. I don’t understand the crazy atmosphere of Black Friday at all. My ex-mother-in-law and my ex’s aunt always start shopping after the New Year. Throughout the year, they see something someone needs or wants, they watch for it to go on sale and get it. Long before Black Friday, they have all their shopping done. If only I was organized enough to do that.

Gifts alone do not make Christmas. It is the gath-ering of family, the warmth of the room, the deli-cious food and candies. It is the reminder to be kind and accepting of everyone… even the assholes.

– Dorothy Ocacio

Between waking up in the ungod-ly hours after Thanksgiving, fi ghting through a crowded sales fl oor with a cart full of product to replenish what everyone else has hurriedly grabbed, and being covered in static cellophane after wrapping numerous gifts, Black Friday can turn into a lot of fun.

One year I had a lady come in around 5 a.m. with an energy drink in each hand. When I joked about it, I found out she had a case of the drinks

in the car and had been shopping from 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving, with plans to shop straight through midnight of Black Friday.

The day has a chaotic nature about it. If you ever want to feel like an amazing salesperson, all you have to do is take advantage of the “I want it now!” mentality of your customers. It’s Black Friday for a reason. Most re-tail locations make the most they will make in any single day all year, the day after Thanksgiving.

For anyone who enjoys people watching, this is a day to do it. Par-ticularly in the morning, to see how much time customers are dedicating to shopping.

– Kylie Rogers

These weren’t just any Manolos - they were the coveted “Something Blue” satin pumps worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the wedding scene in “Sex and the City 2.”

For the seven years of my life that I was slinging shoes for Nordstrom, my Thanksgiving Day excitement was overshadowed by the dread of waking up at 5 a.m. the next day to work - but the hilarity of the Manolo incident made that year worth the effort.

Somehow, in the chaos that is Black Friday, the shoes were misplaced out on the sales fl oor. The left shoe was found and claimed by one woman, and the right by another – both desperate to own the last size 38 in the entire company.

One of the women even tried to bribe me, promising to purchase all her future shoes from me for the rest of her life!

I handled the situation like any other seasoned salesperson: I went to lunch. By the time I returned, one of the women had conceded, and I had a sale of $920.

The shoes weren’t even on sale! – Lisa Sorenson

S A L E The Advocate offers select stores’ Black Friday sale hours by location

Gresham Station Wood Village Town Center

Fairview

Best Buy

Old Navy

Children's Place

Bath and Body Works

Kohl's

Fred Meyer

Target

Midnight - 10 p.m.

Midnight - Midnight

5 a.m. - 9 p.m.

2 a.m. - 9 p.m.

$$Between waking up in the ungod-Between waking up in the ungod-

I can’t say I’ve ever had a terrible experience with Black Friday, but it is defi nitely a spectacle to behold. With this being Round 3, I’m al-most imagining myself sailing through.

The scene at Nordstrom on Black Friday 2008 could easily have been a sketch on”Seinfeld”: one pair of size 38 Manolo Blahnik heels, and two “bridezillas” intent on taking them home.

Black Friday is the offi cial beginning of the Christmas season for many in the United States. But if this day is in any way representative of Christmas, I want nothing to do with it.

5 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Midnight - 11 p.m.

8 p.m. Thanksgiving - 10 p.m. Black Friday

Clackamas Town Center Barnes & Noble

Disney

Macy's

J.C. Penney Co.

6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Midnight - 11 p.m.

6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Midnight - 9 p.m.

Q&

AAnthony Lam-Tran

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen?

“People camping out like two days before.”

Michael Smith

What’s the best deal you've gott en?“I got this really nice HD digital camera like three years ago, I can’t remember the exact savings I got but… I sti ll use it today, it’s a great camera for fi lming.”

Dylan Lapado

What is your opinion about Black Friday?“It just seems like a bunch of people getti ng hyped up over buying stuff . It’s not really how I was raised to think, I’m not a materialisti c person…. It’s not something I’m interested in.”

Nov. 16, 2012

Living Arts6

The Get Ahead, who draw from the roots of rhythm and blues, soul, jazz, and rock n’ roll, will perform at the EastBurn pub. The music will start at 10 p.m. Must be 21+. There is no charge for this event. EastBurn is at 1800 E. Burnside St. in Port-land. For more information, call 503-236-2876 or go to www.theeastburn.com

The Portland Museum of Modern Art will have an opening for Chris Kirkley’s exhibit, Azawad Libre! New Media and Imagined Geogra-phies in the Sahel. Kirkley makes his art using modern technology. Entry is free. The museum is at 5202 N. Albina Ave. in Portland, in the basement of the Mississippi Records compound. For more information, go to www.portlandmuseumofmodern-art.com, or e-mail [email protected].

The Northwest’s largest drive-through Christmas light show kicks off at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving. The 20th annual Jubitz Winter Wonderland features more than 250 light set pieces, including many animated scenes. To date, the festival has raised $523,000 and collected 38 tons of food for the Sunshine Division, an organization run by the Portland Police Bureau to help families in need. Cost is $6 to $20, depending on events entered or guests’ vehicle type. The event is at the Portland International Raceway, 1940 N. Victory Blvd. in Portland.

Black Friday on Distillery Row will have a different kind of shopping experience for those 21 and older. Five distilleries will help customers fi nd what they’re looking for, serving up their spirits. Other vendors also will attend. The event begins at 11 a.m. Friday, held in the Union/Pine at 525 S.E. Pine St. in Portland. For more information, go to www.distilleryrowpdx.com.

FRIDAY 11.16 E. Portland

N. PORTLANDSATURDAY 11.17

THURSDAY 11.22 N. PORTLAND

FRIDAY 11.23 SE PORTLAND

the day tripperyour weekly event planner

Sw PORTLAND

The Tree Lighting Ceremony in Pioneer Courthouse Square offi cially kicks off Portland’s holiday season, starring a 75-foot Douglas fi r. This marks the event’s 28th year. There will be a holiday sing-a-long, featuring Thomas Lauderdale with members of Pink Martini and friends. The event in the Square is free and open to the public, at 701 S.W. Sixth Ave. in Portland.

Above: The hungry burrowers gather for a plentiful feast of the farmers food in the Fox home.

Fantastic Mr. Fox has been playing to local elementary schools and daycares for the past couple of weeks. The fi nal performance will be Saturday at 2 p.m. in the college theater. This is the only public showing of the play. Cost is $2, but no one will be turned away for inability to pay.

Photo

by Jo

natho

n Lon

g/Th

e Adv

ocate

Movie plagued with scandal

Living Arts Briefs

Kylie RogersThe Advocate

The drama of love, adultery and scandal plague to-day’s tabloids but are not new topics of conversation, as seen in the fi lm adaptation of Russian author Leo Tol-stoy’s “Anna Karenina,” directed by Joe Wright.

The cinematography in the fi lm is something I have never seen to such a grand extent before. The movie cen-ters around a stage highlighting the performances given by imperial Russia’s socialites as opposed to the “real” life search for love displayed by Levin (Domhnall Gleeson).

It took me a little more than a minute to catch on to that fact. I was suspended between the idea that I may have been watching an opera or ballet. The movie was neither, but defi nitely had its moments with incredibly graceful scenes. The movement and choreography dur-ing Kitty’s (Alicia Vikander) ball was beautiful.

Anna (Kiera Knightly) stole the show, much to Kit-ty’s dismay, with her dance with love interest Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Affairs are a common theme throughout the mov-ie. There are intricate circles being drawn between the characters. Vronsky’s mother, whom Anna meets on the train ride to visit her sister-in-law Dolly (Kelly Macdon-ald), was a woman talked about in the upper class.

Anna feels the need to visit Dolly to advise her to for-give her husband Stiva (Matthew Macfadyen) for cheat-ing on her. And then, of course, Anna herself is found to break her vows with her husband Aleksei (Jude Law) for Vronsky.

Through the turmoil of the characters I found myself admiring the risky move of having the socialites play their life out on the stage and also was reminded of “The Scarlet Letter” for the social shunning of the individuals involved.

The attention to detail for the costuming and the seamless precision in which each scene was portrayed was enough to invite seeing the fi lm . . . and maybe the abundance of awesome imperial mustaches.

“Anna Karenina” opens in limited release today and is rated R for some sexuality and violence.

Review:

FRIDAY 11.23

A celebration of the Christmas season blended with other holidays throughout the world will mix cul-tures at the World Holiday Harmony event, hosted by the Associated Stu-dent Government.

Some of the clubs on campus will share their culture’s traditions. Other clubs have “adopted” a coun-try to share its holiday with guests. The Transitions and Transiciones, T.R.I.O. SSS/CF, SEEDS and Project YESS programs will also be taking part in the event.

The event will go from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 28 and will be held in the Student Union commons. There will be music from numer-ous nations playing throughout and food from various cultures. From 9 to 11 a.m., Alder Elementary will be in to decorate cookies; students are invited to come and help. Through 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., most of the clubs will be at tables. From 1 to 3 p.m. will

be entertainment, followed by the lighting of the tree. Awards will be given to “unsung” heroes following. Russian folk singer Natalia Hougen will be singing and playing guitar throughout.

Crystal White, ASG director of diversity, said the purpose for the event is to share in cultures and learn from the experiences they may offer. All students are also welcome to bring in an ornament for the tree. It can be made, bought or brought from home. White said that she couldn’t promise to get decorations back to their owners, however, so she advised not to bring heirloom decorations.

For more information on the event, visit the Student Union, or contact Crystal White at [email protected] or 503-491-7224.

—Dorothy Ocacio

Night Student Reception

Students are welcome to at-tend the Night Student Reception Nov. 28, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event is looking to provide a re-laxed atmosphere for students and give those on the MHCC campus a chance to mingle. Students will also be able to play Rock Band, the music-based video game. Refresh-ments will be provided during the gathering.

The reception is also to help draw those who are only on cam-pus during the night into the col-lege experience.

For more information on the event, contact ASG SAB Receptions Coordinator Emma Bird at [email protected] or 503-491-7642.

—Dorothy Ocacio

World Holiday Harmony

Mr. Fox... see him now!

the advocate Sports 7

“The sports world in 2012 has been something to give thanks for.”

Every year around Thanksgiving, I like to look back on what I’m thankful for.

The sports world in 2012 has been something to give thanks for.

It started with the Oregon Ducks win-ning their fi rst Rose Bowl in 95 years, beat-ing the Wisconsin Badgers 45-38, high-lighted by a record-setting De’Anthony Thomas touchdown run that set the fi eld on fi re.

I’m thankful for the chance to watch my 49ers get farther in the NFL playoffs than they had in 15 years. Although com-ing up short of a Super Bowl appearance, they blew away expectations before the season began.

The silver lining to their unfortunate defeat in the NFC championship game was the fact the New York Giants team they lost to wound up as NFL champions after defeating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

March would come and bring the “madness” that all sports fans love, as brackets were frantically fi lled, everyone becoming an analyst of college basketball

for the annual 68-team tournament. I always end up getting sucked into

the hype of March Madness, and freak out when an upset is on the verge of tak-ing one of my picks to make a deep run. I would like to thank Norfolk State and Lehigh for continuing that trend.

Norfolk beat Missouri in fi rst-round play, while Lehigh stunned powerhouse Duke. Both 15 seeds, defeating 2 seeds: How rare is that? Before this year, it had happened only four times in tournament history.

As the madness continued, the upsets slowed, surprise teams were bounced and, in the end, the Kentucky Wildcats, lead by their head coach John Calipari, would de-feat the Kansas Jayhawks in a title game featuring the two winningest programs in Division 1 history, giving Kentucky its eighth title in school history.

I’m thankful for being able to watch, from begin-ning to end, what many consider the greatest rookie season in MLB history. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim took the baseball world by storm the minute he stepped up to the plate.

Whether it be his iconic home run-robbing catch in Baltimore, or that he was the youngest player to join the 30-30 club (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one year), Trout was magnifi cent. He wound up winning a Silver Slugger Award, the fi rst MLB rookie with 30 home runs, 45 stolen bases, and 125 runs in one season,

and was unanimously voted Rookie of the Year in the American League.

At 21 years old, I’m thankful that LeB-ron James was able to overcome all the hate, scrutiny and overwhelming criti-cism and win his third MVP award, prov-ing himself as the world’s best player. He wasn’t fi nished, though. James led the Mi-ami Heat out of a 2-1 series defi cit against the Indiana Pacers and out of a 3-2 hole against the Boston Celtics, and then to vic-tory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA fi nals, earning his fi rst champi-onship ring in nine seasons. I’m thankful to have watched one of, if not the great-est, group of basketball players assembled ever fl at-out dominate and win gold in the

2012 London Olympics. I’m thankful, as a California native,

that a West Coast team won the World Se-ries after the San Francisco Giants beat the Detroit Tigers in a convincing four-game sweep, their second MLB title in three years.

It’s been a great year to be a sports fan, and the year isn’t over yet.

With more due from the NBA, NFL and college football, I’m excited for what-ever will close out 2012.

Blazers may have to move on without LaMarcus Aldridge

Every team needs a go-to player and to have depth throughout the roster, if it wants to be successful in the playoffs. This season, the Portland Trail Blazers have nei-ther.

LaMarcus Aldridge is clearly the team’s best player, but at times he does not show it and does not have the mentality to be the go-to-guy. At 6 foot 11 inches, Aldridge would be a center on most teams, but that’s not the case with Portland. He is known around the league for being a big, good-shooting sort of guy. But how “big” of a man is he, really? This season Aldridge is averaging six rebounds a game and out of the eight games the Blazers have played Al-dridge has had over 10 rebounds twice. At this point it seems like Aldridge is comfort-able with shooting mid-range jump shots instead of getting into the paint. When he does score in the paint, it is almost always a fadeaway, and not a face-to-the-basket shot.

Pressure has been on Aldridge to lead this team ever since previous teammates Greg Oden and Brandon Roy departed, due to injuries. He is defi nitely a high-cal-iber player but he is not the type to be the leader of a team. He has experience, play-ing in the NBA since 2006, but does not have the proper on-court mentality and the aggressiveness to lead a team in the play-offs. The team has not made it past the fi rst round of playoffs since 2000, when Port-land made the Western Conference fi nals but ended up losing to the Lakers.

The Blazers this year have a young team, with their oldest player being for-ward Jared Jefferies, 30. This year the team has played well when the starting fi ve is in, but when the bench comes onto the court, that is where the Blazers collapse. They do not have depth this year, which is a big thing to succeed and go deep into the play-offs. So, the pressure is on the starters.

With Aldridge’s size and experience, he should be able to average a double-double, like his teammate J.J Hickson, who is aver-aging 11 points and 11 rebounds. Hickson, 6 foot 9 inches, is playing the center posi-tion where he is usually undersized with his matchup.

Aldridge is now in the third year of his fi ve-year contract and the debate has begun whether he will be re-signed, or if the Blaz-ers will let go of him. Personally, I think if they could get another player to lead this team and have Aldridge as the second op-tion, it might be worth it to keep him and see what happens. But if that doesn’t hap-pen, expect Aldridge not to be in a Blazer uniform come the 2014-15 season.

Aldridge’s future with Blazers questionable

Add sports to your list of things to be thankful for

Aaron MarshallThe Advocate

Shaun LutzThe Advocate

After winning their fi rst title since 2007, the No. 1 seed MHCC Saints look to make it a repeat effort this year, hosting the NWAACC tournament this weekend. In their opener against No. 4 seed Wenatchee Valley on Thursday, the Southern Region champs picked up right where they left off, dominating Wenatchee by winning all three sets, 25-17, 25-16 and 25-17. Next up, the Saints will play today at 12:30 p.m. against the winner of the game between Bellevue and Pierce. Results of the Bellevue/Pierce game were unavailable at the time of publication. MHCC is among the regional champions who look to make a deep run in the tournament, along with Northern Region leaders Olympic and Bellevue (both 11-1 in regional play), Highline and Green River from the West (both 10-2 regionally) and what might be the Saintsʼ biggest obstacle, Eastern region champion Blue Mountain (14-0 in region). Look for an update on NWAACC coverage on Monday at The Advcoate website, www.advocate-online.net.

Photo

s by J

onath

an Lo

ng/T

he Ad

vocat

e

Saints go into NWAACC tourney swinging

SportsNov. 16, 2012

8

Annual ‘Civil War’ has significant implications

Sport�����entral- Upcoming Games -

SC

- Game of the Week -

John TkebuchavaThe Advocate

The MHCC cross country team took advantage of some bor-rowed talent on Saturday at the NWAACC Championship meet where the women’s team finished 5th overall and the men’s team in 9th place.

The women’s team, struggling

to fill out rosters this season, had to pull members of the basketball team to get a full squad in for the NWAACC meet after losing run-ner Katelyn Brashear, who head coach Matt Hart said was unable to compete.

“We picked up two women, and lost one. Katie had some fam-ily issues come up and needed to focus on those, so she could not compete for us anymore,” said Hart.

“So, I went to the women’s bas-ketball team and got Whitney War-ren and Danica Lewis to run for us. Both of those ladies did very well, considering they had not run cross country and were practicing for basketball,” he said.

Nonetheless, the women’s team scored an impressive top-five finish, especially considering the two new members hadn’t prac-

ticed with the team all season.MHCC’s Christa Collmer, the

Southern Region Champion, was the highest placing runner among all Saints, both men and women, coming in at 14th place, 19:55. She was followed by freshmen run-ners Monica Amara in 20th, 21:02; Whitney Warren in 32nd, 22:20; Danica Lewis in 42nd, 23:53; and Prisma Flores in 49th, 25:33.

Everett Community College, the women’s meet winner, blew

away the competition, placing its top five runners in the overall top 10, with star runner Marren Hane-berg placing second overall.

The MHCC men’s team placed ninth overall, with the Spokane team winning the championship again this year.

For the Saints, freshman Vlad Ishenin led the team once again in 39th place, 27:50, and was fol-lowed by his fellow freshmen Alex Seymour, 43rd (27:59) and Na-than Geiter, 48th (28:14) with lone sophomore Brian Hoglund placing 64th, at 28:33. Freshman Lt Avants finished it off for the men’s team, placing 70th, at 30:42.

In general, regardless of the difficulties with maintaining full race rosters, Hart felt it was a decent year for cross country.“I am pleased that we had a good group of student-athletes compet-ing for us this year,” he said.

Given the issues of recruitment, Hart hopes many young runners will compete again next year. “We assume the freshmen will do track & field for us, as well as return to compete in cross country next

year,” he said. “My goal is to add quite a few additional teammates to the returners next year.”

With the NWAACC finals end-ing the season Hart listed some personal highs and lows for the team. “The best part was having a group of student-athletes that got along and did their best. The at-titude of the athletes was positive and was enjoyable to be around and coach,” he said.

Hart also was appreciative of his coaching staff.

“I also want to thank Jim Sat-terfield for coming out and help-ing with the coaching responsibili-ties. He went above and beyond and added a different dimension,” Hart said.

Struggling cross country teams finish off strong at NWAACCs

“The best part was having a group of student- athletes that got along and did their best.”

Matt HartCross country coach

A lot is riding on the outcome of the annual “Civil War” football game Nov. 24, when the Oregon Ducks take on their rivals the Oregon State Beavers.

Oregon (10-0), the second-ranked BCS team in the nation, has had a dominating season with big wins and excellent play.

Duck quarterback Marcus Mariota, a freshman, has the best QB rating in Division 1 football. The team has explosiveness all over the field with many top-notch athletes and has arguably the best offense in the nation.

The Beavers, currently No. 16 in the nation, have had an incredible start to the season and is now a sur-prising 7-2, losing only to Washington and Stanford.

It was a completely different story last season, when the Beavers finished 3-9. Now, they look to finish the season strong and play in a bowl game.

If the Ducks win out the rest of their season, they can expect to be in Miami in January for the BCS cham-pionship game. So, there are national implications when it comes to this year’s Civil War.

Last time both teams played for more than just bragging rights was 2009, when the winner would head to the Rose Bowl. The Ducks came out on top, beating the Beavers, 37-33.

The Ducks have won the past four matchups against Oregon State, but this new and improved group of Beavers don’t look to be the pushovers of the recent past.

The Ducks and Beavers better have next Saturday circled on their calendars, as it should be a huge – and hopefully good – game.

- Aaron Marshall

Photo

s con

tribute

d by M

att Ha

rt

Above: Sophomore Christa Collmer (center), placed 14th at the NWAACC Championship meet. Top right: Sopho-more Brian Hoglund and Lt Avants (behind) running as a pack at the 2012 NWAACC Championships.

The “Stanford Tree” mascot

for Stanford Universiry.

California Golden Bears at No. 16 Oregon State

Beavers 7:30 p.m. (PAC-12 Network) on

Saturday

Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers, 7 p.m. (Comcast Sports

Network), today.

No. 13 Stanford Cardinal at No. 2 Oregon Ducks, 5 p.m. (ABC Network) on

Saturday.