22

2015

A long, winding roadFormer Saint labors through the minor leagues

Poetry slam Reclaiming art and culture

Booming of the cannabis industryGrowing a business with new regulation and public acceptance

Associated Student Government Why student governments matter

17

3

8

13

THE CREW

EditorsGreg Leonov Adam Elwell

WritersAdam ElwellJon Fuccillo

Greg LeonovEmily Wintringham

Designers Adam Elwell

Shawnie FortuneJon Fuccillo

Heather GolanGreg Leonov

Emily Wintringham

PhotographersGreg Leonov

Thomas StewartEmily Wintringham

ContributorsMicah Fletcher

Beka HaugenDJ Johnson

AdvisersHoward Buck

Dan Ernst

Venture Magazine is a Mt. Hood Community College student publication produced by students in the journalism department. The articles and materials present in Venture do not necessarily represent the views of Mt. Hood Community College. None of these materials may be reproduced without written permission from Venture.

Mt. Hood Community College26000 SE Stark Street

Gresham, Oregon 97030503-491-7250

22

The magazine you’re holding in your hands is

the product of intense labor and much frustra-

tion. This year, we decided to go with a simple,

consistent design that is similar for every story

so that there is a familiar feeling from one story

to another. I will not beat a dead horse by talking

about “Venturing” here and there for adventure,

but I will say that this project was a real quest

to discover what we could produce with the

amount of time we ended up with. As the aca-

demic year draws to a close, we hope that this

project is seen as a job well done, and is appreci-

ated by the readers that take the time to join us

in our stories.

Along our quest we discovered the power of

the spoken word. The Slam Poetry scene in Port-

land is an open community where anyone can

share their words in front of unique individuals

sharing an appreciation for diversity. This year, I

personally discovered the catharsis of getting my

soul in print, but I have yet to bring those words

to the microphone on a regular basis. I will get my

chance, and so will you when Slam Poetry comes

to Mt. Hood.

That connection to Mt. Hood is also illustrat-

ed in the story of a baseball legend in the making

that is on track to the major league. Jon Fuccillo

has been following the career of DJ Johnson for

seven years. Johnson’s bond with Mt. Hood is un-

mistakable. The twists and turns in his career are

everything that makes his story worthwhile.

Mt. Hood is a fertile training ground for many

types of careers, not just athletics. The Associated

Student Government has contributed to building

leaders that have gone on to serve their commu-

nities. With influence on their public, they un-

derstand that they’re elected to their position to

serve. Bringing their stories back to college has

been a service to the students, and I thank the

ASG for work they have done and continue to do

to build and improve the quality of student life

that continues to exist beyond the campus. The

principles we learn at Mt. Hood are tools that in-

spire innovation, and encourage enterprising in-

dividuals to grasp opportunities as doors open up

to new ideas and industry.

With the legalization of marijuana in the state

of Oregon, a new industry is emerging before our

eyes. I had the opportunity to get familiar with

a company that has been around for almost two

decades, and are moving forward to help others

build this industry from the ground up. As drug

war stigma gradually wears off of marijuana;

techniques to cultivate the plant itself, and nego-

tiations for fair regulation will have the potential

to bring revenue and bliss to many people in this

great state. The possibility of integrating cannabis

cultivation courses with the innovative mission of

MHCC is not a far-fetched fantasy.

I’ve written over 450 words for you in this in-

tro alone, and I apologize for that. Please don’t let

that discourage you from exploring our discover-

ies during this spring term. I present to you the

2015 issue of Venture Magazine.

-Greg LeonovEditor-in-Chief

Editor’s note

33

Former Saint takes diffi cult path to the big leagues

I’ve had a tough road to travel to get to where I am today.

-DJ JohnsonMinnesota Twins prospect

by Jon Fuccillo

A taste of the big leagues

It was a humid April evening in Fort Myers,

Florida, home of the Boston Red Sox spring

training facility, when Twins pitching

prospect DJ Johnson started to get loose in the

bullpen in the bottom half of the eighth inning.

Little did the 25-year-old know, Hall of Fame ex-

player and � rst-year Twins manager Paul Molitor

was about to call on No. 99 to close out the bottom

of the ninth with a comfortable 5-2 lead.

Nerves, butter� ies and adrenaline started

to kick in for the former Mt. Hood Saint. But

Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound Beaverton native,

settled down quite nicely once his size-13 New

Balance cleats made contact with the rubber.

He couldn’t have asked for better results, either:

three up, three down.

“That save will stick with me for a long time,”

says Johnson, who is now with his third MLB

organization in the last six years.

The chance to play in a major-league

environment, while a common test for young

prospects during spring training, made for a

special personal highlight.

“When I went in for the save, I didn’t even realize

it was the ninth inning... So when the last out was

recorded I started walking towards the dugout.

A LONG, WINDING ROAD

Photos contributed by DJ Johnson

44

(Two of my teammates) had to get my attention and

call me back to go through the line to shake hands

with teammates.”

Johnson was smiling from ear to ear, with his

dimples sunk into his freshly shaved face.

“Going through that line, I had the biggest smile

on my face and made sure I kept the ball,” he adds.

It’s been an unusual journey for Johnson, chasing

his professional ball dream, but it’s one that he has

embraced and now feels better prepared for.

Back to the real world

Snapping from that sweet moment to the present

day, it’s back to the real world for Johnson, who

reported to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for his Double

A minor league debut with the Chattanooga

Lookouts to start off the regular season. He’s

playing for manager Doug Mientkiewicz, a former

MLB ballplayer himself.

Never in Johnson’s six-year career has he played

above the Advanced level of Single A ball, in a

regular-season contest. If he continues to impress

he will earn himself the opportunity to move

farther up the rungs of organized baseball, at any

given time throughout the year. He’s prepared to

make the leap once the time comes.

“Weird to think that I am so close to the big

leagues,” Johnson says. “This off-season, my goal

was to train myself with the mindset that I was

This off -season my goal was to train myself with the mindset that I was going to the big leagues by the end of the year.

-DJ Johnson

55

(Two of my teammates) had to get my attention and

call me back to go through the line to shake hands

with teammates.”

Johnson was smiling from ear to ear, with his

dimples sunk into his freshly shaved face.

“Going through that line, I had the biggest smile

on my face and made sure I kept the ball,” he adds.

It’s been an unusual journey for Johnson, chasing

his professional ball dream, but it’s one that he has

embraced and now feels better prepared for.

Back to the real world

Snapping from that sweet moment to the present

day, it’s back to the real world for Johnson, who

reported to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for his Double

A minor league debut with the Chattanooga

Lookouts to start off the regular season. He’s

playing for manager Doug Mientkiewicz, a former

MLB ballplayer himself.

Never in Johnson’s six-year career has he played

above the Advanced level of Single A ball, in a

regular-season contest. If he continues to impress

he will earn himself the opportunity to move

farther up the rungs of organized baseball, at any

given time throughout the year. He’s prepared to

make the leap once the time comes.

“Weird to think that I am so close to the big

leagues,” Johnson says. “This off-season, my goal

was to train myself with the mindset that I was

This off -season my goal was to train myself with the mindset that I was going to the big leagues by the end of the year.

-DJ Johnson

Photos: Former Mt. Hood Saint DJ Johnson (left ) signing his fi rst professional contract in 2010 with Tampa Bay Rays scout Paul Kirsch (opposite page). Johnson celebrates his fi rst major-league level save during spring training (below).

The grind is crazy. I can’t put it any other way... Even in the off -season I always have baseball on my mind.

- DJ Johnson

going to the big leagues by the end of the year.”

Johnson knows it won’t be an easy road ahead for

him. Nothing is guaranteed, especially in his line

of work. He now has a special appreciation for the

“grind” that is minor league baseball, something

he had taken for granted in the early stages of his

young professional career.

“The grind is crazy. I can’t put it any other way,”

he says of a player’s life in the minors. “Not many

people can truly appreciate what we go through

on a daily basis. Long bus rides, going from hotel

to hotel, and being with the same group of guys

for 140 games isn’t easy. Even in the off-season (I)

always have baseball on my mind.”

College path sets tone for challengesThe fate of the Twins’ fortunes one day may

rest in the right hand of a pitcher once known for

his big-time bat in college. The 2007 Sunset High

School grad had troubles with his control while

playing at Mt. Hood and decided to “call it quits” on

the mound and focus on his offensive game.

“When I was at Mt. Hood (2007-09) I went through

a phase for two years where I couldn’t throw a

strike to save my life and I got really frustrated,” he

recalls. “I told my pitching coach, James Allen (at

the time), I was done pitching.”

In his last season with the Saints, Johnson only

pitched two innings and had a 13.50 ERA.

When his Mt. Hood days were over, Johnson

would transfer to Western Oregon University,

in Monmouth. He briefl y played for head coach

Jeremiah Robbins, who is now with Lewis-Clark

State College.

Robbins saw something special in Johnson, in

particular, his big arm and frame, but wasn’t able

to utilize him much on the fi eld due to injuries

and academic issues. Nevertheless, Robbins wasn’t

about to give up on the transfer, and offered him a

special opportunity.

“His arm came back at the end of our season and

he looked great,” Johnson’s former coach says. “We

were planning on using him on the mound, but he

battled injuries and his grades were in bad shape.”

Thankfully, Robbins had good professional

connections and sought to give his young prospect

66

another opportunity to showcase his arm in front of

Tampa Bay Rays area scout Paul Kirsch in a special

workout at Volcanoes Stadium, home of the Salem-

Keizer Volcanoes. Johnson impressed enough in his

brief outing that he received a whopping $1,000 signing

bonus and a paid fl ight to rookie camp in Florida.

“I was going, no matter what,” Johnson says of

taking his fi rst professional contract. “I didn’t care

what they were going to pay me. I would have

played for free.”

Third time in the minors is a charmJohnson fi nished his fi rst minor league season

that year, with the Rookie League Gulf Coast Rays,

with impressive numbers on the bump: 2.05 ERA,

2 saves and 16 strikeouts in 22.0 innings. However,

those stats weren’t enough to land him a contract

extension, due to the simple fact that the Tampa

Bay organization didn’t have much stock invested

in him. They also weren’t impressed with his weight

at the time.

“They told me that I showed up overweight and

didn’t see me making the team that season,” Johnson

recalls. “I was defi nitely overweight when I showed

up for camp,” the stocky hurler concedes. “It’s been a

struggle my whole career, until this season.”

Fast forward fi ve years, and Johnson is now with

his third MLB organization. Before signing a two-

year contract with the Twins last season, Johnson

spent two years in the Arizona Diamondbacks

organization, in 2011 and 2012. That’s where the

injury bug caught up with his right shoulder: He

tore a shoulder muscle, and despite long periods

of rest and rehabilitation, couldn’t get right. The

injury kept him off the diamond for the entire 2013

season, by which time the Diamondbacks had cut

him loose.

“When I was released from the Diamondbacks, I

was determined to get my shoulder healthy on my

own terms and (to) go out and try to play again,”

Johnson says now. “It was a long year, and I learned

a lot about myself in that time.

“No team is going to take a chance on someone

that wasn’t healthy for an entire year… So I knew

I was going to have to take it upon myself to show

people how much I love this game and how hard I

was willing to work to further my baseball career.”

Come 2014, Johnson would play a second

season in Traverse City, Michigan. He appeared

in 24 games for the hometown Beach Bums of the

Frontier Independent League, recording 14 saves.

He would tack on 12 more games with Fort

Myers, in the Advanced A-level Florida League.

“It’s been an interesting journey, that’s for sure,”

Johnson adds, of his various assignments. “Not one

that many players at this level take to get to where

they are.”

Web photo

...I knew I was going to have to take it upon myself to show people how much I love this game...

-DJ Johnson

The long road DJ’s teams over the years

2010

2011-14

2011

2012

2012

2014

2015

Simply put: It’s been one helluva roller coaster for

him. But he continues to keep things in perspective

with the idea of taking it day-by-day.

He explains, in cliché form, “You have to take it

one pitch at a time. You can’t control the outcomes.”

Johnson hopes he gets a crack at dressing down

for the major league Twins, eventually. He said he

believes that things will be different, and that he

learned more about himself as a person in the last

six years than he ever had known before. He insists

that a third time is a charm and that something

special will come out of this opportunity.

Johnson’s Chattanooga battery mate, catcher

Stuart Turner, agrees that his teammate has what it

takes to play for the Twins, sooner than later.

“I think he has the stuff to make it,” says Turner.

“He has the confi dence to come into a game and

let it go. His journey has battle-tested him for the

future, and that’s a plus for him. He has seen the

highs and lows of baseball like most of us haven’t

on this team.”

Johnson wouldn’t have it any other way. He said

he’s just enjoying the journey, and believes the

Twins are a perfect fi t for his near-future.

“I defi nitely think this time with the Twins will

be different,” he says. “I know what it’s like to

have the game taken away from me, once because

of injury, and once because I just took things for

granted and didn’t work hard enough. I learned the

hard way that this game doesn’t owe me, or anyone

else, anything,” he adds. “I could be back at school

or working (a random job) right now. But I’m not.

I’m going to enjoy every second.”

Johnson won’t let anyone or anything get in the

way of his journey to the big leagues, especially those

“naysayers” who wrote him off in years past, he adds.

He harvests strong motivation from their doubts.

“I say ‘Thank you’ to the naysayers. They’ve

helped me learn a lot about myself and how strong

I really am,” he said. “They helped me push myself

this last year to get into the best shape of my life,

and made me realize that if I wanted to make it in

this game I was going to have to work harder than I

ever have and want it more than anyone.”

He has the confi dence to come into a game and let it go. His journey has batt le-tested him for the future...

-Stuart Turner

Johnson’s No. 44 Twins jersey hangs in his locker room. Johnson looks to jump to the MLB this year aft er starti ng the year in Double A for the Chatt anooga Lookouts.

another opportunity to showcase his arm in front of

Tampa Bay Rays area scout Paul Kirsch in a special

workout at Volcanoes Stadium, home of the Salem-

Keizer Volcanoes. Johnson impressed enough in his

brief outing that he received a whopping $1,000 signing

bonus and a paid fl ight to rookie camp in Florida.

“I was going, no matter what,” Johnson says of

taking his fi rst professional contract. “I didn’t care

what they were going to pay me. I would have

played for free.”

Third time in the minors is a charmJohnson fi nished his fi rst minor league season

that year, with the Rookie League Gulf Coast Rays,

with impressive numbers on the bump: 2.05 ERA,

2 saves and 16 strikeouts in 22.0 innings. However,

those stats weren’t enough to land him a contract

extension, due to the simple fact that the Tampa

Bay organization didn’t have much stock invested

in him. They also weren’t impressed with his weight

at the time.

“They told me that I showed up overweight and

didn’t see me making the team that season,” Johnson

recalls. “I was defi nitely overweight when I showed

up for camp,” the stocky hurler concedes. “It’s been a

struggle my whole career, until this season.”

Fast forward fi ve years, and Johnson is now with

his third MLB organization. Before signing a two-

year contract with the Twins last season, Johnson

spent two years in the Arizona Diamondbacks

organization, in 2011 and 2012. That’s where the

injury bug caught up with his right shoulder: He

tore a shoulder muscle, and despite long periods

of rest and rehabilitation, couldn’t get right. The

injury kept him off the diamond for the entire 2013

season, by which time the Diamondbacks had cut

him loose.

“When I was released from the Diamondbacks, I

was determined to get my shoulder healthy on my

own terms and (to) go out and try to play again,”

Johnson says now. “It was a long year, and I learned

a lot about myself in that time.

“No team is going to take a chance on someone

that wasn’t healthy for an entire year… So I knew

I was going to have to take it upon myself to show

people how much I love this game and how hard I

was willing to work to further my baseball career.”

Come 2014, Johnson would play a second

season in Traverse City, Michigan. He appeared

in 24 games for the hometown Beach Bums of the

Frontier Independent League, recording 14 saves.

He would tack on 12 more games with Fort

Myers, in the Advanced A-level Florida League.

“It’s been an interesting journey, that’s for sure,”

Johnson adds, of his various assignments. “Not one

that many players at this level take to get to where

they are.”

Web photo

...I knew I was going to have to take it upon myself to show people how much I love this game...

-DJ Johnson

The long road DJ’s teams over the years

2010

2011-14

2011

2012

2012

2014

2015

Simply put: It’s been one helluva roller coaster for

him. But he continues to keep things in perspective

with the idea of taking it day-by-day.

He explains, in cliché form, “You have to take it

one pitch at a time. You can’t control the outcomes.”

Johnson hopes he gets a crack at dressing down

for the major league Twins, eventually. He said he

believes that things will be different, and that he

learned more about himself as a person in the last

six years than he ever had known before. He insists

that a third time is a charm and that something

special will come out of this opportunity.

Johnson’s Chattanooga battery mate, catcher

Stuart Turner, agrees that his teammate has what it

takes to play for the Twins, sooner than later.

“I think he has the stuff to make it,” says Turner.

“He has the confi dence to come into a game and

let it go. His journey has battle-tested him for the

future, and that’s a plus for him. He has seen the

highs and lows of baseball like most of us haven’t

on this team.”

Johnson wouldn’t have it any other way. He said

he’s just enjoying the journey, and believes the

Twins are a perfect fi t for his near-future.

“I defi nitely think this time with the Twins will

be different,” he says. “I know what it’s like to

have the game taken away from me, once because

of injury, and once because I just took things for

granted and didn’t work hard enough. I learned the

hard way that this game doesn’t owe me, or anyone

else, anything,” he adds. “I could be back at school

or working (a random job) right now. But I’m not.

I’m going to enjoy every second.”

Johnson won’t let anyone or anything get in the

way of his journey to the big leagues, especially those

“naysayers” who wrote him off in years past, he adds.

He harvests strong motivation from their doubts.

“I say ‘Thank you’ to the naysayers. They’ve

helped me learn a lot about myself and how strong

I really am,” he said. “They helped me push myself

this last year to get into the best shape of my life,

and made me realize that if I wanted to make it in

this game I was going to have to work harder than I

ever have and want it more than anyone.”

He has the confi dence to come into a game and let it go. His journey has batt le-tested him for the future...

-Stuart Turner

Johnson’s No. 44 Twins jersey hangs in his locker room. Johnson looks to jump to the MLB this year aft er starti ng the year in Double A for the Chatt anooga Lookouts.

88

Poetry Slam by Emily Wintringham

MANIFESTING THE ART THAT CHANGES LIVES

You never need to apologize to me for talking too much.

On your voice you carry cities like rolling luggage,

Your hands, careful but casual, can cast shadows on a skyline

holding histories in solid black ink...

What is slam poetry?

In all its rituals, varieties and the different

communities who partake in it, slam is simple at

its core. It is the people taking back what’s theirs:

both the art, and social justice.

If you attend a slam, you will hear emotional,

expressive passion coming from the mouth of

someone condemning crimes done against them

and others. Sometimes, it’s meek and somber, as

if the poet were a vulnerable child telling it like

it is. Other times, you might feel a drop of spit

slap your cheek, expelled from the poet’s roaring

mouth. You will see veins popping from a person’s

neck, their hair doused in sweat. You will see

them tremor as they shake their fist and use the

most of “cacophony” – a string of harsh words to

convey disorder or turmoil.

Whatever way the poet chooses to express his

or her view, that individual is capturing the art of

poetry – a once-aristocratic, academic, literary

novelty – and taking command of it.

Once upon a time, artists served up poetry

as a means to become more affl uent in society,

but through slam poetry, it becomes the

servant to the “common” people and to diverse

communities’ advocacy.

In fact, slam poetry (a particular event might

be a “poetry slam”) was brought to us by “everyday

people.” Marc Smith, a blue-collar construction

worker, started poetry-reading sessions in 1985 at

a jazz club lounge in Chicago. He merged the art

of performance poetry with several elements of

baseball and terminology from the game of bridge,

Photos by Emily Wintringham

99

Poetry Slam by Emily Wintringham

MANIFESTING THE ART THAT CHANGES LIVES

You never need to apologize to me for talking too much.

On your voice you carry cities like rolling luggage,

Your hands, careful but casual, can cast shadows on a skyline

holding histories in solid black ink...

What is slam poetry?

In all its rituals, varieties and the different

communities who partake in it, slam is simple at

its core. It is the people taking back what’s theirs:

both the art, and social justice.

If you attend a slam, you will hear emotional,

expressive passion coming from the mouth of

someone condemning crimes done against them

and others. Sometimes, it’s meek and somber, as

if the poet were a vulnerable child telling it like

it is. Other times, you might feel a drop of spit

slap your cheek, expelled from the poet’s roaring

mouth. You will see veins popping from a person’s

neck, their hair doused in sweat. You will see

them tremor as they shake their fist and use the

most of “cacophony” – a string of harsh words to

convey disorder or turmoil.

Whatever way the poet chooses to express his

or her view, that individual is capturing the art of

poetry – a once-aristocratic, academic, literary

novelty – and taking command of it.

Once upon a time, artists served up poetry

as a means to become more affl uent in society,

but through slam poetry, it becomes the

servant to the “common” people and to diverse

communities’ advocacy.

In fact, slam poetry (a particular event might

be a “poetry slam”) was brought to us by “everyday

people.” Marc Smith, a blue-collar construction

worker, started poetry-reading sessions in 1985 at

a jazz club lounge in Chicago. He merged the art

of performance poetry with several elements of

baseball and terminology from the game of bridge,

Photos by Emily Wintringham

Micah Fletcher (19) in order to fashion a competitive, entertaining yet

thought-provoking event.

Slam poetry has drawn the interest of people

in cities the world over, and perhaps it’s because

poets have fi nally found a wide audience and the

voice to reach it.

The two are forever intertwined.

Here’s an excerpt of the forward written by

American author, Kent Nerburn, in “Letters to a

Young Poet,” a work by Rainer Maria Rilke:

“All of us who labor in the arts know that it can

be a lonely existence. We o� en � nd ourselves living

a life of solitary dreams, disconnected from others,

and driven by a vision that no one else seems to

value or share…

“We then thirst for a single voice of under-

standing that will reach into our solitary lives and

reassure us that the path we have chosen is wor-

thy and that the rewards it offers are worth the

loneliness it entails.”

Where once poetry was mostly the muse of

very intelligent, prosperous men from prestigious

universities, ordinary men and women such as

the young poet whom Rainer nurtured were left

wondering if they’d ever reach the surface.

Micah Fletcher, 19 and a student at Mt. Hood,

has been a longtime participant in the Portland

Poetry Slam community, and a writer well back

into his youth. But those who see him onstage,

taking the crowd by storm, might never guess the

type of tempests he has faced himself.

“What really got me started in writing is music,

specifi cally the hip-hop music that came out of the

1990s. I listen to a lot of that and still do to this

day,” Fletcher said. “It was the usage of music and

wordplay to describe ideas in such a powerful,

phenomenal way that really got me started in not

just writing, but music.

“What I realized is that I had no musical talent

back when I was little, so all I could do was the

writing. So I would write all sorts of things,

Photo by Micah Fletcher

1010

You said I could show you fear in a handful of dust and that’s fine

and I’m flattered butI’d rather show you care in a

handful of mineOut there-

is already a sand storm.These silent mornings are

magnificent shadows, they look like solid black ink, but they’re

just so many words written on top of each other...

everything from really structured poems, like in

iambic pentameter and haiku form or what-have-

you, all the way to way to writing little stories and

raps for myself,” he said.

A woman named Teriya Autry then introduced

Fletcher to slam poetry. He regarded her as “quite

possibly the most kind and compassionate woman”

he’s ever met, he said. Autry mentored Fletcher

and introduced him to creative writing.

They met through Caldera, an arts program

sponsored by Weiden+Kennedy, the noted

Portland advertising agency. The Caldera program

happened to visit and recruit members from

Madison High School, where Fletcher attended.

They picked a handful of students to participate

in the program.

“You gotta understand that middle school was not

a good point in my life at all,” Fletcher said. In fact,

he was institutionalized for erratic anger. “It was a

very dark center, so to actually have someone pick me

and help me to write, it was one of the bright spots

in my life at that point. I would be writing and that’s

how I learned to process all these emotions that as

an autistic child I didn’t understand what to do with.

“Poetry made me examine the human condition:

What it’s like to be other people and through that

I found out what it’s like to be other people… and

thus I found out who I was as a person,” he said. “In

a way, I would say writing was a mirror that allowed

to see my own self.”

Fletcher would compete, then shine, at the high

school level. In 2013, his junior year, he won fi rst

place at the second annual Verselandia Poetry

Slam, which was produced by Portland Literary

Arts, and sponsored by Portland Monthly magazine

and Weiden+Kennedy.

Micah has been involved in the Portland Poetry

Slam for three years, since 2012.

The slam master for his fi rst event was Eirean

Bradley, who left quite an impression.

“I remember the fi rst time he ever walked up

onstage and I didn’t see it coming because, you

know, it’s a poetry thing still,” Fletcher recalled. “I

expected, being the ignorant person I was at the

time, that it was just going to be a low-key event

and he goes ‘WHAT the f*ck is up, Portland?!’ at

just, like, at the top of his lungs.

“He screams into the microphone and that was how

he opened the show. It was a phenomenal set and the

people that went up on the Slam that night did an

amazing job and I was inspired so much that I just

kept on writing all night that night,” Fletcher said.

There would be more.

“I’ll never forget, my favorite memory was the

third time, I believe, I went to a slam,” Fletcher

said. “This woman name Robyn Bateman comes

up on stage and she’s an extremely talented poet

and she starts doing this poem about this young

man who’s autistic who she works with in this care

center and she happens to be like this huge fan

of hip-hop music as well and she goes on in this

poem to describe him.

“I can’t remember what she learned from him

Brenna Twohy performs at Portland Poetry Slam on May 24, 2015 Alex Dang performs at Portland Poetry Slam on May 24, 2015

(web photo) Audre Lorde (1934 -1992) Sister Outsider (1984)

but her words were just so eloquent and so perfect

for me at the time, because at that time I was very

lonely. I kind of thought that I would never fi nd

someone like myself again because I also happen to

be autistic and to hear this woman get up onstage

and start talking about a person who’s basically

another version of me… It was an incredibly

powerful moment for me and an incredibly

relieving moment for me,” he said.

As the slam scene spreads across the Portland

arts community, if all goes to plan, MHCC will have

its own smashing event, coming in autumn 2015 or

the following spring.

Andy Gurevich, world religions and writing

instructor at Mt. Hood, bristles with excitement

for a slam poetry event he’s working to bring to the

Gresham campus.

His quest started when he and his wife attended

the most recent “Take Back the Night” rally at Portland

State University. He found the words of two women

from Sister Outsider Poetry, a female performance

poet duo sweeping the nation, to be spellbinding.

Dominique Christina and Denise Froman,

who have each won world championships, have

launched together a visionary Sister Outsider

poetry series, based on contemporary writings on

social issues penned by Audre Lorde, published in

her anthology, “Sister Outsider.”

Christina is an activist and educator inspired

by her family’s legacy in the American civil rights

movement. Froman has centered her work on

celebrating diversity and the uniqueness of every

individual. In the pair’s poetry and outreach, they

focus on the social issues relevant to many people

in the 21st century – multiculturalism, homopho-

bia, sexual assault, immigration, educational in-

equalities, coming of age and several others that

challenge the traditional way of thinking. Theirs is

truly a voice for “outsiders.”

“They were talking about issues in ways that

were relevant to the audience, not trying to

prescribe away issues but really resonating with

people,” said Gurevich.

“The closest thing I’ve seen to it in my life was

like religious revivals where people are so taken

in emotion to what’s being said that they holler in

approval like, you know, screaming ‘Amens!’ and

you can just feel the energy in the room.

“And so afterwards, kind of in a fan-frenzy

phase, I ran up there like a crazy person – thank

God my wife was with me so I didn’t look too

weird,” Gurevich said, chuckling – “and I was like,

‘You guys gotta come to Mt. Hood! You guys gotta

come to Mt. Hood!’ ”

So far, he said, there’s been a verbal commitment

from Sister Outsider to visit campus, but no

written confirmation.

Gurevich showed a video clip of “No Child Left

Behind,” a Sister Outsider performance of that name

by Christina and Froman, to Sara Rivara, MHCC

Humanities Department dean and a published poet

herself, and fellow instructors Scarlett Saavedra, Photo credit: Emily Wintringham

They were talking about issues in ways that were relevant to the audience, not trying to prescribe away issues but really resonati ng with people. -Andy Gurevich

1111

(web photo) Audre Lorde (1934 -1992) Sister Outsider (1984)

but her words were just so eloquent and so perfect

for me at the time, because at that time I was very

lonely. I kind of thought that I would never fi nd

someone like myself again because I also happen to

be autistic and to hear this woman get up onstage

and start talking about a person who’s basically

another version of me… It was an incredibly

powerful moment for me and an incredibly

relieving moment for me,” he said.

As the slam scene spreads across the Portland

arts community, if all goes to plan, MHCC will have

its own smashing event, coming in autumn 2015 or

the following spring.

Andy Gurevich, world religions and writing

instructor at Mt. Hood, bristles with excitement

for a slam poetry event he’s working to bring to the

Gresham campus.

His quest started when he and his wife attended

the most recent “Take Back the Night” rally at Portland

State University. He found the words of two women

from Sister Outsider Poetry, a female performance

poet duo sweeping the nation, to be spellbinding.

Dominique Christina and Denise Froman,

who have each won world championships, have

launched together a visionary Sister Outsider

poetry series, based on contemporary writings on

social issues penned by Audre Lorde, published in

her anthology, “Sister Outsider.”

Christina is an activist and educator inspired

by her family’s legacy in the American civil rights

movement. Froman has centered her work on

celebrating diversity and the uniqueness of every

individual. In the pair’s poetry and outreach, they

focus on the social issues relevant to many people

in the 21st century – multiculturalism, homopho-

bia, sexual assault, immigration, educational in-

equalities, coming of age and several others that

challenge the traditional way of thinking. Theirs is

truly a voice for “outsiders.”

“They were talking about issues in ways that

were relevant to the audience, not trying to

prescribe away issues but really resonating with

people,” said Gurevich.

“The closest thing I’ve seen to it in my life was

like religious revivals where people are so taken

in emotion to what’s being said that they holler in

approval like, you know, screaming ‘Amens!’ and

you can just feel the energy in the room.

“And so afterwards, kind of in a fan-frenzy

phase, I ran up there like a crazy person – thank

God my wife was with me so I didn’t look too

weird,” Gurevich said, chuckling – “and I was like,

‘You guys gotta come to Mt. Hood! You guys gotta

come to Mt. Hood!’ ”

So far, he said, there’s been a verbal commitment

from Sister Outsider to visit campus, but no

written confirmation.

Gurevich showed a video clip of “No Child Left

Behind,” a Sister Outsider performance of that name

by Christina and Froman, to Sara Rivara, MHCC

Humanities Department dean and a published poet

herself, and fellow instructors Scarlett Saavedra, Photo credit: Emily Wintringham

They were talking about issues in ways that were relevant to the audience, not trying to prescribe away issues but really resonati ng with people. -Andy Gurevich

1212

I respect you as an artist as I respect

you as a lover as I respect you as a person

For your careful handsI have never been so seen.

Thank-you.Poem by Sarah Gehring,

-Portland Poetry Slam

Lydia Yuknovich, Michelle Hampton, and others

during a department sponsored “Mouths of Others”

literary event on campus.

“They were all for it,” he said. He then reached

out to Melinda Bullen, Diversity Resource Center

coordinator, and through her to Mt. Hood student

organizations such as the Black Student Union,

Gay Straight Alliance, and American Association

of University Women, to collaborate and make the

event happen.

“I started getting really excited because

this is the kind of thing I want to do here,”

Gurevich said, of an event that not only bridges

MHCC departments but pulls in several student

organizations to produce it.

There might be even more slam poetry coming

at Mt. Hood.

Gurevich has discussed MHCC hosting an

upcoming high school slam poetry competition,

organized by the Portland Literary Arts foundation,

sometime during the 2015-16 academic year.

The details for either opportunity still must be

worked out, he said.

It’s still up to Sister Outsider to decide whether

to come to campus. That’s to be expected with the

world of poetry slam. One enters a world of endless

possibilities; poetry slam is a beacon, for a brighter

future and belonging.

As for Fletcher, he’s on to big things, as well.

His first book of poetry, titled “Cigarette’s Pillow-

Talk Lonely,” will be released sometime in the

near future.

“Poetry will be a part of my life always, because it is

the only language I will ever truly understand,” he says.Tasha Receno wins the Portland Poetry Slam on May 24, 2015

Jill Greenseth emcees Portland Poetry Slam in place of Slam Mastress Leyna Rynearson on May 24, 2015

1313

cannabisindustry

of the

industrycannabisBoomingBooming

One Oregon marijuana seed company has had a 15-year head start in the cannabis industry. With the state’s legalizati on of recreati onal use, offi cials at Stoney Girl Gardens in Clackamas are working to keep medicinal cannabis easily accessible, while also pursuing licensing of their strains. “I could be the next Intel...” says founder Jennifer Valley about the rich potenti al of her company, as well as the opportunity for others interested in building the budding new industry.

When a visitor arrives at the offi ce of Stoney Girl

Gardens, located in a semi-industrial Clackamas

neighborhood tucked away a few blocks from

Interstate 205, the company’s founder quickly

strikes up a conversation about its core mission:

breeding marijuana starters that buyers then

cultivate for medical or recreational use.

Jennifer Valley explains how she comes up with

names for different strains, based on the genetics of

the new plants. She named a certain strain “Crippled

Rhino,” for example, aft er breeding a strain called

“White Rhino” with one called “Crippler.”

Stoney Girl Gardens focuses on creating distinct

strains. When customers purchase a clone of a

plant, they are basically purchasing the genetics of

the plant, according to Valley.

The offi ce is spacious, minimalistic, and almost

has a clinical vibe to it. Visitors might feel as if they

have entered an HR offi ce, or are in a waiting room

anxiously looking forward to their next checkup. The

walls are decorated with posters of colorful buds and

various “Cannabis Cups,” and on the wall to the left of

the entrance is a framed Willamette Week newspaper

cover and pages featuring Valley and Mike Mullins,

Stoney Girl’s director of operations.

“As we move forward…” is almost a catchphrase

for Mullins, excited for the future of the cannabis

industry in Oregon. He believes it will grow to be

larger than the dotcom boom of the nineties, and

the cellular boom of today – if the authorities and

an invested public lay the proper groundwork.

Stoney Girl Gardens is America’s oldest cannabis

seed company, as Mullins describes it. Founded in

1999 by Valley, who is known as “Stoney Girl,” the fi rm

is the fi rst U.S. seed company to be internationally

recognized by author Ed Rosenthal in The Big Book

of Buds, which featured a bud from Stoney Girl on

its cover.

As for naming rules, the reality is, a breeder

can name whatever strain he crosses anything

he wants, Valley said. Mullins said that he and

Valley bombarded representatives from the U.S.

Department of Agriculture with questions. “One

of them was: Are we really way off-base, naming

these things ‘Rhino,’ ‘Pit bull,’ etc.?” he said. “They

laughed about that and said, ‘Absolutely not’ –

you’re the creator, you get to name that strain what

you wish.”

It’s not a trivial issue, even as Mullins predicts an

industry turn toward more mundane numbers and

by Greg LeonovPhotos by Thomas Stewart

1414

letters. The overriding question becomes, “What is

a strain?”

The “genetics pool” of what Mullins called

“commercial strains” has been polluted, he said.

“We have OG Kush at both of the ends of the scale

from sativa (strains that produce an uplift ing,

energetic, and sometimes hallucinogenic effect –

sativa leaves are thin) to indica (strains that produce

a relaxing, drowsy, calming feeling – indicas have

thicker leaves). “Which one is it? And which one

was the original?” he said.

As legalization of recreational cannabis spreads

in the U.S. and its stigma from a federal government

level wears off, Mullins said he hopes that research

universities will integrate with the industry to help

build its foundation.

“When we built the wine industry, like the pinot

noir industry (in Oregon), that was with the help

of our universities. It certainly wasn’t from an

individual farmer himself. So, we really need that

kind of integration so that we can get answers for

this,” he said.

Studying the genetics and having a system of

genome mapping will allow those in the industry

to better understand each plant. And mapping will

allow companies such as Stoney Girl Gardens to

protect their intellectual property so they can track

and protect their work – and know if others have

stolen and renamed it.

“We’re the fi rst seed company in the United States,

or even the world, to actually introduce licensing

on genetics,” said Mullins. “People go ‘Gosh, that’s

kind of Monsanto of you’ (a reference to that seed-

chemical power’s oft -criticized monopoly tactics)

but what it was about was being able to make sure

that the end user had what they thought they had.”

Getting their genetics offi cially registered is

crucial for businesses such as Stoney Girl, he said.

“Knowing who’s using our strain and renaming it …

the biggest problem that we have is piracy.”

Valley said the user/grower deserves to know

exactly what strain they’ve purchased. She wouldn’t

want one to end up with a “Jack Herer” strain when

they wanted a “Berkeley,” she said. A Berkeley grows

hair-like fi bers on it aft er 28 days and is ready for

harvest; the latter also grows fi bers aft er 28 days,

but then needs eight weeks more to be ready for

harvest.

“That’s bad for my reputation, because then

people can say, ‘Oh, (their) genetics don’t do what

she said they did.’ Because they’re not really getting

my genetics, they’re getting (those of) someone

who used my name,” she said.

In 1993, Valley was diagnosed with “the most

advanced case of thyroid cancer ever seen in a

living patient,” she said. By 1998, she began to

explore growing her own cannabis, to fi nd relief.

Aft er researching, but constantly failing – she

would kill 21 clones before she teamed up with

Mullins – she sought out help. “We bred genetics

designed to cope with the symptoms that I was

dealing with,” she said.

Valley was not expecting to live as long as she

did, but as her health improved, she diligently

pursued her new passion.

Working together to establish skills in growing

cannabis specifi cally for Valley, the two decided

that others struggling with serious illness also

needed a way to learn quickly. “We needed a two-

day training session that a Stage IV cancer patient

could do and be able to successfully grow their own

The biggest problem that we have is piracy.

-Mike Mullins

Photos: Stoney Girl Gardens grower and Portlandsterdam University instructor Jason Jones’ cannabis from North Portland (below). Founder Jennifer Valley and Director of Operati ons Mike Mullins in their offi ce in Clackamas (opposite page).

1515

medicine,” said Valley. That’s how Portlandsterdam

University, a series of training courses offered by

Stoney Girl Gardens, was established, she said.

“We started Portlandsterdam to help the cannabis

patient. We’d rather teach you how to fi sh, than fi sh

for you.”

Northwest Oregon offers fertile ground for

local growers.

All the plants used by Stoney Girl come from

the 45th Parallel (the longitude that cuts east-west

across Oregon, right near Salem), or farther north,

and from the mountains, and so they thrive in

Oregon’s climate.

“They have a very fast fi nish time, and they’re

made to cope with the kind of weather issues that

we have here in our temperate rainforest. That’s

really helped with cycling the product through

(fast) enough to have enough medicine for a patient

like me,” she said, a Stage IV cancer patient herself.

She said she’s still “addressing a lot of issues, but

I’m also accomplishing a lot.”

It was aft er her mother died, two weeks before

her plants were ready for harvest, that she began

working with Mullins to help patients get safe

access to medicinal cannabis. They got involved

with starting dispensaries in Oregon, she said.

“We really felt that patients need to be able to

have access to their medicine the fi rst day that

they’re diagnosed and that medical marijuana is an

important part of the healthcare transformation.”

Stoney Girl Gardens was the natural outcome of

trying to solve health issues.

“I think it starts out with patients helping

patients,” said Mullins about the burgeoning

industry. “We realized early on that patients in

every state, in dealing with cannabis, are under the

restriction of certain amount of numbers for their

plants, and keeping a consistency of medicine is

(also) a diffi cult job.”

Now comes a major revolution: With Measure

91 approved by Oregon voters last year, making the

...pati ents need to be able to have access to their medicine the fi rst day that they’re diagnosed...

-Jennifer Valley

1616

state one of four in the U.S. to legalize recreational pot

use, local and state offi cials are scrambling to fi gure

out how to regulate the substance.

There are no tried and proven methods. “If you’re

in Colorado, and you’re a dispensary there, you’re

required to produce 70 percent of the stock you put

into your store,” noted Mullins. “Whereas, if you’re in

Oregon, you cannot produce on-site at your dispensary,

so it’s quite the opposite.”

Already, Stoney Girl Gardens and other local

producers and users have serious concerns.

“Obviously this is a new industry, and there’s a lot

of experimentation with it,” said Mullins. “I’m hoping

fi rst of all that we don’t over-regulate it, and we don’t

overtax it, so that it can’t exist,” he said.

He worries that many municipalities are working

on legislation to essentially ban any kind of cannabis

facilities, with strict land use zoning. He cites

ordinances imposed by Clackamas County requiring

a 1,500-foot buffer between liquor stores and any

sort of cannabis facility: “They’re completely zoning

us out.”

He questions why offi cials are throwing up barriers

at the same time they speak of needing economic

growth and tax revenue. There’s even been talk of a

class-action lawsuit against the county, if facilities are

effectively forced out, he said.

Mullins blames the harsh regulatory environment

mostly on the nation’s drug war and historical stigma

against marijuana. But he also is confi dent that

legalization will happen soon at a federal level, as

voters in one state aft er another push for change.

“I’m predicting the federal government will come

to the table within the next two to three years,” he

said. Meantime, Stoney Girl and other growers have

walked a narrow path, as to not invite law enforcement

crackdowns. “In this industry, we have the common

thought that, ‘Always stay within the boundaries or the

law of the state, never transgress those, never ride on

the line,’ and then you won’t have any problems with

the federal issues,” he said.

It’s now up to Oregon citizens and marijuana users

to demand the fair, nuanced regulation they deserve

by engaging in the political process during this crucial

period, Mullins said.

Valley encourages individuals to think of recreational

use as “adult use,” instead. “We need to stand up and

say, ‘No, we are adults, we are citizens, we do vote,

and we’re not going to be kept out of politics… Did we

really pass Measure 91 so that we can smoke pot in our

parents’ basement? Because that’s what (overzealous

regulators are) trying to do,” she said.

Stoney Girl instead promotes a brighter, forward-

thinking approach.

Mullins said the company is looking beyond

Clackamas County to establish an “Edgefi eld of

cannabis,” as he calls it (along the lines of the

McMenamin’s Edgefi eld food-lodging-farm complex in

Troutdale).

“We already have the lodge there (in Troutdale) and

acreage to be able to put in the farm facilities and start

out with what we will call a ‘bud and breakfast,’ but

will start out as a treatment facility for our own needs,”

he said.

That’s just one example of the potential boom

foreseen by the partners, who have been branding and

promoting their company since 1999. “People would

wonder back then, ‘What are you doing with a business

card in this kind of occupation?’ ” said Mullins.

Those efforts could soon pay off – big. And yet, the

duo say they would prefer that individuals, rather than

corporations, rule the new industry.

“I can be the next Intel if you just let me. I can tell

you that we’re between two and 15 years ahead of the

rest of the industry,” said Valley. While other scientists

test their cannabis products with mouse and rat

studies, Stoney Girl has already been treating people,

and seeing results, she said.

The pair strongly encourages other entrepreneurs to

pursue their own vision.

“There’s a lot of opportunity out there. Be alert

enough to look at the industry and see all of the

solutions to the problems that we have because that’s

what we do – we provide solutions for problems,” said

Mullins. “That’s what businesses are. Don’t look at

things as problems, look at them as challenges and go

out there and make those solutions.”

People would wonder back then, ‘What are you doing with a business card in this kind of occupati on?’

-Mike Mullins

1717

state one of four in the U.S. to legalize recreational pot

use, local and state offi cials are scrambling to fi gure

out how to regulate the substance.

There are no tried and proven methods. “If you’re

in Colorado, and you’re a dispensary there, you’re

required to produce 70 percent of the stock you put

into your store,” noted Mullins. “Whereas, if you’re in

Oregon, you cannot produce on-site at your dispensary,

so it’s quite the opposite.”

Already, Stoney Girl Gardens and other local

producers and users have serious concerns.

“Obviously this is a new industry, and there’s a lot

of experimentation with it,” said Mullins. “I’m hoping

fi rst of all that we don’t over-regulate it, and we don’t

overtax it, so that it can’t exist,” he said.

He worries that many municipalities are working

on legislation to essentially ban any kind of cannabis

facilities, with strict land use zoning. He cites

ordinances imposed by Clackamas County requiring

a 1,500-foot buffer between liquor stores and any

sort of cannabis facility: “They’re completely zoning

us out.”

He questions why offi cials are throwing up barriers

at the same time they speak of needing economic

growth and tax revenue. There’s even been talk of a

class-action lawsuit against the county, if facilities are

effectively forced out, he said.

Mullins blames the harsh regulatory environment

mostly on the nation’s drug war and historical stigma

against marijuana. But he also is confi dent that

legalization will happen soon at a federal level, as

voters in one state aft er another push for change.

“I’m predicting the federal government will come

to the table within the next two to three years,” he

said. Meantime, Stoney Girl and other growers have

walked a narrow path, as to not invite law enforcement

crackdowns. “In this industry, we have the common

thought that, ‘Always stay within the boundaries or the

law of the state, never transgress those, never ride on

the line,’ and then you won’t have any problems with

the federal issues,” he said.

It’s now up to Oregon citizens and marijuana users

to demand the fair, nuanced regulation they deserve

by engaging in the political process during this crucial

period, Mullins said.

Valley encourages individuals to think of recreational

use as “adult use,” instead. “We need to stand up and

say, ‘No, we are adults, we are citizens, we do vote,

and we’re not going to be kept out of politics… Did we

really pass Measure 91 so that we can smoke pot in our

parents’ basement? Because that’s what (overzealous

regulators are) trying to do,” she said.

Stoney Girl instead promotes a brighter, forward-

thinking approach.

Mullins said the company is looking beyond

Clackamas County to establish an “Edgefi eld of

cannabis,” as he calls it (along the lines of the

McMenamin’s Edgefi eld food-lodging-farm complex in

Troutdale).

“We already have the lodge there (in Troutdale) and

acreage to be able to put in the farm facilities and start

out with what we will call a ‘bud and breakfast,’ but

will start out as a treatment facility for our own needs,”

he said.

That’s just one example of the potential boom

foreseen by the partners, who have been branding and

promoting their company since 1999. “People would

wonder back then, ‘What are you doing with a business

card in this kind of occupation?’ ” said Mullins.

Those efforts could soon pay off – big. And yet, the

duo say they would prefer that individuals, rather than

corporations, rule the new industry.

“I can be the next Intel if you just let me. I can tell

you that we’re between two and 15 years ahead of the

rest of the industry,” said Valley. While other scientists

test their cannabis products with mouse and rat

studies, Stoney Girl has already been treating people,

and seeing results, she said.

The pair strongly encourages other entrepreneurs to

pursue their own vision.

“There’s a lot of opportunity out there. Be alert

enough to look at the industry and see all of the

solutions to the problems that we have because that’s

what we do – we provide solutions for problems,” said

Mullins. “That’s what businesses are. Don’t look at

things as problems, look at them as challenges and go

out there and make those solutions.”

People would wonder back then, ‘What are you doing with a business card in this kind of occupati on?’

-Mike Mullins

ASGA case could be made that Associated Student

Government (ASG) at a community college level

is a smaller, but functionally the same, version of

America’s state or federal government.

Sure, no one is probably losing sleep over the

last undeveloped country they screwed over, or

that pork-barrel project they’ve scored for the

home folks, but a lot of the founding principles

that brought the U.S. into its existence are at the

heart of ASG today.

It would make sense: colleges in America are

more and more focused on preparing students

for jobs, so whether or not the problems within

a community college are grandiose enough to

merit such comprehensive system, there should

be some form of student government, simply

for individuals who are interested in a future in

local, state, or federal government.

For those of you who skipped out on history

in high school, the foundation of the U.S.

representative democracy system are the three

branches of government: legislative, executive,

and judicial.

David Sussman, ASG faculty adviser at MHCC

and manager of Mt. Hood specialized student

services, agrees with that assessment. “We

have a representative legislative branch in our

government, that’s the ASG senate,” he said.

“Then we have an executive branch, much like

the federal and state governments do, and that is

our executive cabinet.

“We don’t have a judicial branch, because the

college isn’t in the business of interpreting laws,

the way our federal judicial system is set up to

do,” he added.

Lor Brule, ASG director of the Student

Organizations Council for 2014-15, had a similar

take on the idea of ASG functioning similarly to

larger U.S. governments.

“I would agree, with one caveat,” Brule said.

“We have faculty advisors (who) in� uence our

decisions to a certain extent. You know, they’re

sworn not to; however, just the fact that they talk

to us is going to in� uence us.”

WHY COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT GOVERNMENTS MATTER

Some of the vision and ideas, and cameraderie, and eagerness - and I will even say naiveté - that comes out of student government is sorely lacking in the bodies of power in Salem or D.C.

-Larry MorganTroutdale city council member,

former MHCC ASG president

by Adam Elwell

18

Weed

This is Brule’s fi rst year on ASG and he said the

experience has “defi nitely been a case study in the

failings of bureaucracy.

“Because when you have so many departments

and so many people talking to each other, trying to

talk to each other, you have so many failure points

for communication to break down, and when that

happens it can be disastrous for whatever endeavor

– whether that’s an event that you’re trying to plan

or a resolution made, or some other task you’re

trying to accomplish,” he said.

Not that the year in ASG ruined his experience,

or the issues were even preventable, Brule said.

“It’s not an easy solution. There is no Band-Aid fi x

that is gonna make everybody get along and make

everybody communicate better.”

Specifi cally, MHCC’s student body government is

maybe more directly modeled aft er larger government

institutions than at other colleges in Oregon.

It also differs from many other schools simply

because it’s larger, Sussman noted.

“We have over 20 positions on student government

here. That’s a lot of positions for a medium-sized

community college, (basically) a commuter college,

where we don’t have dormitories or a residence

program here,” he said.

There’s more, Sussman said.

“Something that is very special for Mt. Hood

Community College is that our students here have

what is called student fee autonomy, which means

the money that students contribute to the student

fee budget through the form of paying the activity

fee, that money stays with students here,” he

explained. “It is used to support student programs

only, so the college can’t touch that money. That

money is from students and it is managed by

students, and it goes to students.”

This extra autonomy adds another element to

ASG, and makes it so that it is much closer to an

independent government, rather than an empty,

small-scale model.

Brule mostly concurs, but again, points out the

MHCC advisers’ impact.

“We tend to have a bit of autonomy but we’re not an

autocracy because we have advisers, we have outside

infl uences, that continue to guide us and sway our

(actions),” Brule said. “Maybe not by intention, but

the end result is still that they do provide some kind

of infl uence to the decision making process.”

Photos: Student politi cians Ashley Gass, Keiko Downing. and Lor Brule at MHCC’s Executi ve Council meeti ng (left ). Students mid-vote (right).

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Weed

Skye Troy, ASG director of state and federal affairs

for 2014-15, said she also sees “similarities” between

ASG and larger U.S government bodies in that ASG

members may pass legislation, and the MHCC

administration supersedes their rulings in the same

way federal systems overrule state lawmaking.

But she also said the students’ roles in the ASG are

fundamentally different.

“We don’t walk in with our own platforms, we don’t

operate from our own personal agendas,” said Troy.

She said that ASG functions as a more “pure” version

of the American government.

Sussman said he wouldn’t go quite that far.

“More pure? Perhaps, I would say more contained,”

he said. He and Troy did agree that ASG clearly doesn’t

have any of the added pressures of lobbying, or special

interests groups – typical pitfalls of larger government.

ASG members, past and present, said they found

many advantages to taking on their roles.

Larry Morgan, a current Troutdale city council

member and Mt. Hood’s ASG president in 2010-11, said

his service at MHCC was “quite a tumultuous time” but

also was helpful and affects him today.

“When you’re in a community college you don’t

necessarily think it’s going to be the pipeline to politics...

but it is kind of a pipeline,” he said. He says one value in

particular stuck with him: “I think it’s the most important

skill I might ever learn, (that) is the importance of

relationships, and people. That might sound trite, it

might sound inconsistent, but it’s the truth.” And as for

ASG mirroring larger government?

“In some components, ASG is a microcosm,”

Morgan said. “But, you know, I have to be honest with

you, some of the vision and ideas and camaraderie and

eagerness – and I will even say, naiveté – that comes

out of student government is sorely lacking in the

bodies of power in Salem and in D.C.

“I remember some of the people I disagreed with the

most in student government, we disagreed because I

didn’t agree with the premise, but at least we held those

ideas,” he said. “Now, a lot of times in government

people argue just to be opposed to something, because

they don’t offer any change or they don’t have any ideas

or they don’t have a solution.”

“I don’t think it’s perfect by any means, but there’s a

lot of good intentions” in the ASG system, Morgan said.

The tuition waiver offered by MHCC is also helpful,

said Brule and Troy when asked why they, and most of

their colleagues in general, joined ASG.

Not that the perk demeans the experience, said

Troy, since most of our politicians today view their

elected offi ce as a full-time career. “I think we’ve only

had three presidents who haven’t had a law degree,”

she noted.

Whether ASG simply mirrors larger government, or

prepares students for it, can be debated. At any rate,

there is clearly a job to be done, and student voices

need to be heard. ASG fi lls both these gaps.

2020

Parti ng shot

Creek in the back 40 behind MHCCPhoto by Adam Elwell

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