The Advocate, Issue 13, January 20th

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Oregon state representative recounts MHCC days

January 20, 2012

Instructor returns from star-gazing trip in Africa

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Men’s basketball extends win streak to seven Volume 47, Issue 13

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Left: MHCC parking lots were full of snow and slush, prompting a campus closure Wednesday.

Below: Wednesday’s melting snow and the onset of rain led to some flooding on campus Thursday.

Thursday...

Wednesday...

Snowfall + rain = MHCC puddle Heavy snowfall Tuesday night created challenges for maintainence staff, leading to a closure of all MHCC campuses

by Mike Mata The Advocate

Tuesday night’s snowfall that closed all MHCC campuses Wednesday was washed away by wind and rain Thursday as campus reopened and students and staff returned.

Four to six inches of snow prompted college officials to close all three campuses at 5:25 a.m. Wednesday. There were also falling tree limbs, according to Interim President Michael Hay, which made access to campus a “challenge” for the morning crew.

“We elected to shut down because opening by 10 a.m. wasn’t going to happen and opening by noon was going to be a big challenge. So we figured if we are closed past 12 p.m., we might as well close campus,” said Hay. The Gresham-Barlow and Centennial school districts also closed their schools, which was another factor for MHCC closing, Hay added.

The process for closing down the campus began as early as 1 a.m. when Public Safety called Associate Di-

rector of Facilities Management Russ Johnson to let him know about a short power “bump.” Power was unavailable for a few seconds “but everything came back on,” according to Johnson. By 4:15 a.m., Johnson was on campus to inspect the conditions.

“I came on campus and checked everything out and talked to Public Safety and checked news reports,” said Johnson.

According to Director of Communications Maggie Huffman, the reports from facilities included ice, snow, fallen limbs and intermittent power outages on campus.

The snow was also wet due to rains on top the previous night’s snowfall.

At 5 a.m., Johnson and Hay conferred and Hay made the decision to close campus.

“Some staff who couldn’t make it to campus would’ve been on the emergency crew. Conditions would’ve been unsafe for pedestrians. In general, driving conditions were unsafe in Gresham,” Johnson said of other reasons for closing campus.

By 5:30 a.m., Johnson let Huffman know of the deci-

sion, who in turn began to spread the news. Huffman logged into Flash Alert and sent out a message that campus was closed.

“The message was out three minutes after I sent it. I received mine in two minutes,” said Huffman.

Flash alerts are sent via text message, email and now Twitter, depending on how people subscribe to the service. “Our policy suggests that people register once a year (on Flash Alert),” added Huffman.

After the Flash Alerts, Huffman then let college staff know to update the website and change the phone greeting to reflect the closing of campus. She also called Jean Wagner, director of Head Start, to let her know to tell the kids’ parents about the closure. All of those took place at approximately 5:35 a.m., according to Huffman.

After that, Huffman sent out an all-staff email at 7:19 a.m. that alerted the staff to the closure of campus as well as conditions on campus.

“Our number one priority is the safety of students, staff and visitors,” said Huffman.

MHCC Blood Drive See page 8 for information and coverage of the MHCC blood drive.

Mt. Hood Community College

Gresham, Oregon

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January 20, 2012

Editorial

Commendation to MHCC’s Financial Aid Office for keeping their cool For many students, financial aid is the lifeblood upon which they survive in order to attend school.

Coincidentally, the Financial Aid Office is usually a place where many students dread to tread.

However, in the last couple of terms, the Mt. Hood Community College Financial Aid Office has made great strides in improving the aid process.

The Advocate would like to commend the Financial Aid Office.

Since last summer’s financial aid crisis, when aid was delayed and many students suffered the repercussions, the Financial Aid Office has made impressive strides in improving productivity.

By dedicating the morning to paperwork and using afternoon hours for face-to-face student meetings, the turn-around for receiving aid has improved considerably.

More than just the process in-

volved, we would also like to commend the aid workers for enduring the frustration that students have added to the job. Not all students are unruly and not all aid workers keep their cool 100 percent of the time, but when faced with a desperate situation many students seem to have a less-than-patient approach to communication. Aid workers seem to remain courteous and as helpful as possible, in spite of the endless line of students with complaints and dwindling patience.

It takes a lot to admit when a mistake has been made, and the Financial Aid Office was upfront about the shortcomings that led to the summer delay in disbursement and beyond and they have created processes to correct those problems.

Communication with students about when to expect aid was one of those problems. One of the major hold-ups for delayed aid was

students expecting payment far before aid would be ready. To remedy this, the department has launched a campaign to let students know that if they apply early they will get their aid on time. This previous pitfall in communication has been met with newspaper ads, information in bathroom stalls and posters.

Financial aid parties have also been introduced to help students get their aid done promptly and correctly to ensure that applications are complete and on time.

The MHCC staff has banded together to help push financial aid to the most efficient capacity possible. Faculty and advising staff understand that if students are stressed about money, then classroom performance will suffer, and this causes turmoil for everyone campuswide. Workers have been borrowed from other departments to help keep up with increasing aid

requests. For example, Luis Juarez, current co-manager of the Financial Aid Office, said he has been asked to manage in lieu of his previous position as manager for the Academic Advising & Transfer Center.

MHCC administrative staff made promises of increased efficiency in the beginning of fall term and they have lived up to that promise.

Hopefully, students have received the point being made by the MHCC staff and understand that in order to get aid on disbursement dates, they must make sure to fill out the FAFSA early and keep an eye on the www.my.mhcc.edu website for updates from the Financial Aid Office. With this newly ordered sense of urgency to apply early from the Financial Aid Office, we also hope that students will heed this advice and that stress levels on students in need, and on financial aid workers as well, will be partially relieved.

PDX snow days: Not always what they’re cracked up to be logical and painfully self-aware side of one’s brain. Plus, if one’s co-workers can’t get to work, maybe there won’t be as many customers to handle. Light load at work with When winter descends upon Portextra hours? Choice! land and the metropolitan area, there Then, as rubber hits the slush, a hard fact of snow are many responses to that somewhat day PDX hits you: people can’t drive for shit in the snow. uncommon occurrence that falls from Ever. Even when the road is completely clear of all varythe sky: Snow. That cold white stuff ing levels of frozen water, people are still terrified that blankets the landscape we are so fathey will lose traction due to the minute amount of wamiliar with and sends everyone into a ter loitering on the road. Hence, they will collectively fit of one sort or another. strive to not break the self-imposed 25 mph speed limit.

As many Portlanders are somewhat painfully aware, This drives the extreme minority of commuters, who are snow is not a plentiful natural luxury afforded in Multconfident on the road, crazy. While PDX drivers cause nomah County. However, when it does disdain on a good day, one short happen, the responses range in specjaunt across town on a snow day trum from a giddy child-like euphoria turns into a sluggish excursion to a terror-stricken trauma. It just so and will cause outright rage. The happens that various local governments all-encompassing need to freely around the East County are more on the throw bricks with strongly wordside of panic and tend to start closing ed notes attached at such drivers schools willy-nilly. is a hard urge to fight.

“Yay,” shout school children as their Once the destination is glee at getting even a single day off perachieved much later than usumeates their sleepy minds. I can real, the easy-as-pie shift awaits. member this feeling, the elation at 6:30 Right? Wrong. While at first, the a.m. when I see my school scroll across flow of patrons is merely a trickle, the news and proclaim it closed. The the aforementioned melt takes delight at snatching a few more hours hold and the flood of hungry cusof sleep and then the seemingly untold tomers (I work in a restaurant, so wonders that would be available to my bear with me) simultaneously suffriends and I, at least for a few hours that fering from cabin fever descends day before the inevitable meltdown. upon us. Lord have mercy.

That was then — but now it’s much Ten hours later, my shift is over, a different story. I still wake up at 6:30 my homework is still undone, I a.m., and again see the flash alert on smell like grease and sweat and . phone telling me that school is closed . . the snow is all gone. No walthrough slightly sleep-deprived eyes. lowing in the flaky wonderland Instead of glee, relief floods through for me. Only toil and trouble and Photo by Yuca Kosugi/ The Advocate me, a few more hours of sleep. Sounds slightly grumpier, if somewhat familiar, yet this is where things begin to The main entrance of campus on Wednesday Jan. 18. School was closed for the day due to weather conditions in the Gresh- better paid, me. That, and the everdiffer. Whereas during childhood, a day am area. School resumed on Thursday, where students were met with wet streets and a soggy walk from the parking lots. unsatisfied desire, to throw bricks.

by Mike Mata The Advocate

of snowman and snow-fort construction, sledding, snow angel flailing and manic snowball fights would ensue, the adult world brings different “delights.” For me, it consisted of more time to work on my pile of homework.

Yay? However, a day of cozying up to my textbooks with a mug of tea in some comfortable clothes doesn’t sound so bad, right? That is until you get a call from work asking you to come in because your milquetoast co-workers can’t seem to drive to work through the half-foot of slush.

Then the smiles fade and reality snaps back. But wait — there must be a silver lining here too. More hours means more money and that can only be a good thing, says the

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E-mail advocatt@mhcc.edu 503-491-7250 (Main) 503-491-7413 (Office) 503-591-6064 (Fax) www.advocate-online.net Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030

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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 advocatt@mhcc.edu. 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 reflect those of The Advocate or MHCC.

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January 20, 2012

MHCC graduate now represents East County

by John Tkebuchava The Advocate

Matt Wand, a former Mt. Hood Community College student and Reynolds High School graduate, has since become an Oregon state representative.

A Gresham native, Wand has spent most of his life in East Multnomah Country.

He graduated from Reynolds High School in 1993 and went straight on to MHCC where he was a student for two years before he moved on to Portland State University where he graduated in 1997 with a degree in political science.

After PSU, Wand went to graduate from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College in 2000.

From Lewis & Clark, Wand began his career in law as a practicing attorney in downtown Portland before starting his own law firm, Wand Maddoux Preston LLC, in 2006.

Wand said that when he started his own firm, he had to rent a desk and computer, as he didn’t have his own. His wife was pregnant with their third child and they only had enough money in pocket for one month’s expenses.

“We made it work,” he added.

He then served on the Trout-

dale City Council from 2008-2010 and was elected to his first term in the State House of Representatives on Nov. 2, 2010, being one of nine state representatives to be sworn into Oregon’s 76th Legislative Session on Jan. 10, 2011.

Wand cites the inexpensive costs of education and location as his reasons for choosing to attend MHCC. “I loved that it was close by, that I could work and save money by living at home,” he said.

Contrary to his career path of choice, Wand said his favorite class at MHCC was astronomy.

“My favorite class was the astronomy class with the planetarium. It was taught by Doug McCarty, who retired a couple of years ago. The guy was teaching from the day the school opened, a great guy and good professor,” he said.

Asked what were the most significant and important skills he gained while attending MHCC, he said, “Probably more than anything else it taught me much better study and writing skills than I had.”

It was these skills, he added, that helped him gain insight on his goal of a career in law.

“For the first time I had an understanding of what it would take to be successful in law school,” he said.

News Briefs

Club Fair kicks off in Jazz Cafe MHCC Club Fair will be held on campus Jan. 23 through Jan. 25 to showcase the various clubs MHCC has to offer.

The first day of the event is Monday from 3-5 p.m. at the Jazz Café and there will be cookies, coffee and hot chocolate served. The second day of the event will be Tuesday, Jan. 24, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Vista. For the last day the club fair will be hosting ‘80s-themed karaoke in the Vista Dining Center on Wednesday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Erica “Aerie” Fuller, ASG staff director of Student Organizations and Clubs, and MHCC club members coordinated the club fair. All food available at the Club Fair is free for MHCC students.

Matt Wand, second from right, is sworn in Jan. 10, 2011, at the Capitol during last year’s legislative session.

“I thought I was ready right after high school, but two years at Mt. Hood taught me I wouldn’t be as ready and it would negatively impact grade-wise.”

Beginning at Reynolds High School, Wand has avidly participated in speech and debate groups.

When he was a student at MHCC, he was also a part of the speech and debate team, which

Seminars start next week The Learning Success Center will host several Student Success Seminars on the following dates: How to do Unit Conversions for Math and Chemistry from 12:10 – 1p.m. in AC2307; Take Control of Your Time 1:10-2 p.m. in AC2307 on Jan. 23; Job Search Strategies from 12:10–1 p.m. AC 1152 on Jan. 25; Get the Most From Your Textbooks, 12:10–1 p.m. in AC 2307; and Resume Development Lab, 12:10-1 p.m. in AC 3333 on Jan. 26.

Seminars are free to students, staff, and community members. For more information, call 503-491-7507.

First political forum of term MHCC will host its first political forum next week; “Should schools be able to regulate what K-12 teachers put on facebook?” The forum will be Wednesday, 12:10-1 p.m. in the Bob Scott Room in the library. Future forums will be Feb. 8 and 29 at the same time and location.

Transfer Day held on Monday in Vista Students interested in transferring to a two-year or four-year college may attend the annual Oregon Transfer Day event which will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday in the Vista Dining Center.

There will be representatives from more than two dozen public and private four-year colleges and universities present who will be available to talk about transferring to their university/college and what opportunities are offered there as well as admission requirements, transfer procedures and class offerings.

The event is coordinated and supported by the Oregon Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

For more information about the event, contact Jessica Ruiz at jessica.ruiz@mhcc.edu and at 503-491-7228.

also provided some fond moments for him as well.

“College speech and debate was a very, very enjoyable experience,” he said.

In regards to the value of not only having establishments like MHCC, but all community colleges, Wand said, “A lot of people don’t have an understanding of why we have community colleges.

Photo contributed by Anne Wand

“It’s not just a stepping stone for universities, though that’s part of it, it’s not just there to re-train adults, thought that’s part of it, and it’s not there for just life-long community learning, though again that’s part of it. It’s all three of those things,” he said.

“I’m not ashamed or embarrassed of going to Mt. Hood. I’m proud of it,” he said.

MHCC president picked to lead Oregon education forum

by Jill-Marie Gavin The Advocate

MHCC Interim President Michael Hay was scheduled to help lead a forum for the Oregon Education Investment Board Thursday evening.

Hay said Thursday morning that Todd Jones, policy coordinator for the Education Investment Project, appointed him as a co-convener for the forum two weeks ago.

Two other co-conveners have been chosen to help lead the forum with Hay. Charles McGee, member of the Early Learning Council and Executive Director of the Black Parents Initiative, and Carole Smith, superintendent of Portland Public Schools, were the other two co-conveners selected.

Hay said co-conveners are responsible for introducing the topic of public education funding and how it’s changed due to Senate Bill 909. Funding is now distributed according to completion of degrees rather than based on enrollment.

He said co-conveners were chosen based on their relevancy to the metropolitan communities and the different phases of education.

Hay said he would talk about the role MHCC plays in advancing community education. He also said he would focus on three key aspects that MHCC has to offer the community.

“The first thing I’m going to talk

about is how Mt. Hood Community College is well positioned to deliver on the bill for a continuum of education,” he said. “MHCC matriculates our students to a university level as well as matriculating high school students to a community college level. “ He said the second key issue he would discuss is the Early Childhood Center. Hay said, “The head start accounts for many of the good things happening on campus. Life happens there.” He also said, “People laugh, cry and begin to grow there. We feed people there and put people in a position of readiness to learn. We serve the community as well as MHCC students.”

The third thing Hay mentioned was MHCC’s ability to send people from learning to working. He said, “More than just finishing the programs, students who graduate from here get jobs. MHCC is well positioned to put people to work.”

He said the Allied Health Program alone is proof of success for putting students to work. Hay said, “More than just putting students to work, we want to know that our students are well received and liked by their employers. We want to promote the community and know that our students are bettering society.”

The forum was scheduled to be held Thursday at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, 10303 N.E. Glisan St., Portland from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

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January 20, 2012

On Campus

Your weekly reason to stand up and hit the streets

Tonight

ComedySportz improv show will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theater. Tickets are $6 and are available through the Box Office.

Jan. 21 The Northwest Film Center hosts its 40th anniversary Movie Marathon beginning at noon at McMenamin’s Bagdad Theater. The event will be hosted

by Sean McGrath and will have film trivia, live performances and special guests. The morethan-12 hours of movies costs $40. Tickets are available online with a link from the Northwest Film Center’s website, www.nwfilm.org and at the door.

Jan. 23 & 24 The Red Cross will a blood drive on the Mt. Hood campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days in the College Center.

Appointments can be made at www.givelife. org with the sponsor code (mhcc) or students can sign up at the SAB office.

Walk-ins are welcome but donations cannot be guaranteed without an appointment.

Jan. 26 Head over to AC3333 from 12:10-1 p.m. to attend a Resume Development Lab student success seminar.

Jan. 28 Mt. Hood’s cosmetology program is hosting the “Winter Fantasy Show,” a fashion show whose proceeds will benefit the Kiwanis Doernbecher Children’s Cancer Program and the MHCC Image Makers Club.

The event will run from 7-9 p.m. in the College Center. The event is free for MHCC students and general admission is $8.

African journey gives new place to look at space Labor of love opens skies for MHCC astronomy instructor

by Kylie Rogers The Advocate

Leaving your job for almost three months and paying your way to take an unpaid position on another continent takes a commitment and love of what you to do.

Planetarium director and astronomy instructor Pat Hanrahan spent the majority of fall term away from school.

“I was in Africa from about August 25 to November 4… or on my way to or from. It takes a day and a half to get there. It’s a lot of airplane,” he said.

The position came about through Jack Semura, a coworker and friend of Hanrahan’s at Portland State University (PSU).

According to Hanrahan, Semura had received an invitation to show stars to guests at a lodge in Namibia, Africa, as a way to expand what they offer.

Hanrahan took up the opportunity even though the trip counted as unpaid leave instead of a sabbatical. “Why? Because I wanted to have the opportunity to have a telescope at my side for two and half months. And to see Africa,” said Hanrahan.

Hanrahan was able to experience stars that are hidden from view in the Northwest, although it wasn’t his first time seeing southern stars live.

“Half the stars you see there are stars you can’t see from here.

They’re simply below the horizon, things like the Southern Cross. That never rises above the horizon here. Alpha Centauri, the closest star, you hear about it in school all the time, that never rises above the horizon here,” he said.

Hanrahan’s first experience with the southern sky was in Australia “years and years ago” when he took a scuba diving trip.

“I wanted to see the stars too, but even though I was in a town that wasn’t all that big, I could never get away from city lights.

It makes such a difference if you can get away from city lights and see things without light pollution,” he said. “It’s hard to find a place where you can be out in the middle of nowhere. And this (Namibia) is one of the darkest places on earth.”

At the lodge where Hanrahan was giving his shows to guests, he described the layout as “a patio with a telescope in the middle of it.” He was equipped with a green laser as well.

“You can light up a path through the sky at night and you can point out different stars. With a green laser, they have to be used responsibly, but it’s something that just amazes the guests when you show it to them,” he said.

The shows were never scripted, he said. Hanrahan’s set-up was to let the guests see what they wanted to see and ask questions as needed.

“One of the most disappointing things I found was ‘What are stars?’ A lot of people were thinking it was some kind of dust up there or something that was reflecting our suns light,” he said about the guests’ questions.

One night the regional manager of the lodges had come for a show along with his 4-year-old daughter.

“I found out the way to get the regional manager to like you is to do your best to impress his 4-year-old daughter, and she was really interested in stars. I had a show where I let her ask any question she had. I let her use the laser pointer and I let her ask the name of any star. That was fun,” said Hanrahan.

Hanrahan’s own family didn’t make it out on the trip.

“I tried to get my wife to go and she wouldn’t go. She was welcome to come with me but she wouldn’t come,” he said.

Hanrahan’s daughter didn’t come on the trip because she had to go to school, said Hanrahan.

He e-mailed family members everyday and would send pictures back home.

“I had internet connection for about an hour each day. It’s something [about] the lodges over there. Internet and telephone service is something they really downplay. They want you to really experience Africa. They don’t want you to spend all your time with your electronics,” said Hanrahan.

There were plenty of opportunities for Hanrahan to experience Africa when he wasn’t showing people the stars.

He flew to Swakopmund on the coast of Namibia, took a cruise off the coast of Africa where a seal hopped onboard the boat, spent time in Windhoek and camped for several days at Etosha National park.

“You can see elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, lions, you name it,” he said about the wildlife in the park.

Photo contributed by Pat Hanrahan

During a safari bus trip around Etosha National Park, his bus was charged by an elephant. “He played chicken at the last minute and went away from us. But I have a series of pictures I took and you can see him getting closer and closer and closer,” he said.

Hanrahan was surprised that the area where he was staying was all grassland, as he came expecting a dry rock and sand landscape. He attributed the grassland to heavy rains that Namibia received last March.

His leisure time was spent hiking around the area along zebra trails and trails he made himself. His hikes typically started around 10 a.m. when it was already beginning to get hot, he said.

Wildlife was a concern on the hikes. Leopards were in the area but Hanrahan’s biggest concern was snakes. Namibia is home to cobras and puff adders. He traveled with a walking stick to rustle the ground ahead of him to make sure there were no snakes.

One trip was made up a hill and climbing down

NAMIBIA

over a rock. “I didn’t pay attention to what was on the other side of the rock and as soon as I stepped on the other side of the rock, there was something that ambushed out of there and made one heck of a sound and went running. It jumped and I jumped. It was a bunny rabbit.

Of all the times I was hiking, that was the one event that scared me more than anything else,” he said.

Hanrahan is back on campus teaching and directing planetarium shows. He is planning to host a planetarium show titled “The Southern Sky from Namibia” on May 7. Admission to all shows is $2 general admission and free for MHCC students with I.D. For more information on any upcoming planetarium shows, contact Hanrahan at pat.hanrahan@mhcc.edu.

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January 20, 2012

Dead Mathematicians’ Society to host presentations Three winter term sessions to be offered beginning Thursday The MHCC Dead Mathematicians’ Society will host three presentations this quarter, starting with a Thursday session called “The Fourth Dimension.”

The first presentation will be led by Don Davis, a retired MHCC physics instructor, and will discuss the three space dimensions and one dimension of time that is believed to be contained within our universe. The presentation begins Jan. 26 at 3:15 p.m. in room AC2608.

The second presentation, “Completing the Square,” will be led by mathematics instructor Rob Hauss, and will involve solving equations of the form “Ax2+Bx+C=0” and the various techniques and formulas used to solve such an equation. This presentation begins on Feb. 9, at 3:15 p.m. in room AC2608.

The final presentation is titled “A Method for Detecting the Occurrence of Chainsaw Kickback,”, which will discuss the dangerous phenomena associated with chainsaw use called the “kickback,” which occurs when a chainsaw bar tip snags onto a work piece, causing the saw to accelerate toward the user. The presentation will be lead by Drew Arnold, an engineering graduate student from Oregon State University, and begins on Feb. 23 at 3:15 p.m. in room AC2608 During each presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and may have the opportunity to explore mathematical concepts.

All events are free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Jon Spindor at jon.spindor@mhcc.edu and at 503-491-7369.

The MHCC faculty exhibit is on display in the Visual Arts Gallery.

The exhibit is open for viewing until Jan. 26.

ART RIGHT NOW

APPLY EARLY — get money on time If you need financial aid by the start of the academic terms:

File the FAFSA by these dates:

You must also complete all MHCC paperwork by the following deadlines:

Summer Term

As soon after Jan. 1 as possible

April 1

Fall Term

April 1 — earlier if possible

July 1

Winter Term

July 1 — earlier if possible

October 1

Spring Term

Nov. 1 — earlier if possible

February 1

TIPS:

1.

2.

3.

4.

File your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online for faster processing (fafsa.gov).

Check MyMHCC regularly for your application status and turn in required documents promptly.

If you missed deadlines, financial aid will not be available until after the start of the term.

Students are served first-come, first-served for fairness - do not ask for exceptions unless the College made a clear error in your file completion date. This will help us serve you and all students faster!

CA1581

Remember: It can take up to 12 weeks for your financial aid to be ready after you file your FAFSA!

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January 20, 2012

Financial aid options available for those willing to look

Financial aid parties hoped to get students their aid on time

Work study provides options for income through financial aid

by Leah Emura

by Jeff Hannig

The Advocate

A new term and a new year brings forth opportunities for student employment with the Federal Work Study (FWS) fund.

The Federal Work Study fund is part of a financial aid award, distributed by the federal government. Once students have completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application and have been awarded, they can contact Cat Parish, financial aid adviser/student employer coordinator, for the next steps to becoming an employee of the program.

There are hundreds of job options for on-campus and off-campus FWS employment. On-campus jobs include mostly positions with academic departments, as well as assistant positions with the library, custodians, tutors, and more.

Off-campus jobs include community service positions for non-profit organizations. Job descriptions include tutor for elementary students, visitor service greeter for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and customer service for Portland Fire and Rescue, among others.

Minimum wage applies to the FWS fund, which begins at $8.80 for Oregon. Students can earn more depending on their job position. “A student can make anywhere from $100 to $1,000 a term,” said Parish.

Besides being able to earn up to $1,000 a term, another benefit of the Federal Work Study fund is that there is no limit to how long a student can keep a job.

“Some students work the same job for the years that they are here. Some students work a day. The FWS is supposed to assist, not enslave,” said Parish in an e-mail last week. “So if a student’s life or studies eat up too much time, then the student may work less or not at all” she added.

Being a Federal Work Study employee is not only rewarding financially, but also a great place to create connections, according to Katelyn Ellis, who works in Admissions, Registration and Records. “They can refer you, write letters of recommendations, and things of those sort” said Ellis.

Ellis is a MHCC graduate, who joined the FWS fund as a file clerk in Admissions, Registration, and Records

The Advocate

Photo by Riley Hinds/The Advocate

Students stand in line waiting to speak to financial aid workers Thursday. Financial aid office hours for inperson assistance are Monday through Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. and Monday through Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. for assistance over the phone.

when she was 18, and now is a fulltime employee in the same department.

Other than adjusting to working in an office rather than a store where Ellis used to work, she enjoys the people she works with describes them as “considerate, caring and knowledgeable.”

Advice for those who join and become part of the FWS fund is “to read all the info Cat Parish sends out” according to a FWS employee Yuki Rutherford, who works at the information desk located at the College Center. In addition, she recommended, “Maintain contact with your supervisor.”

Both Federal Work Study employ-

ees said they enjoy their jobs very much.

However, the FWS fund is competitive and there are “300 people employed and 500 on the waiting list,” according to Parish.

“The next possible time the fund is open is in the first week of February. Students who are on the waiting list will be notified that the fund has been re-opened and the eligible students will be employed as long as the fund remains open, which is about two weeks, “ she said.

“After that, the FWS fund will probably be closed until the new awarding year, 2012-2013, and that is a different story,” Parish added.

Financial aid will be offering open labs beginning Jan. 27 to help students access the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2012-2013 award year.

The labs, or parties as they have affectionately been named by the staff, will be offered a total of 23 times between Jan. 27 and June.

The first event will be held from 1–2 p.m. on the 27th in the computer lab located at AC2554.

Families as well as current, continuing and prospective students are encouraged to attend an open lab. Advisers will be in the classroom to help guide students and family members through the application step by step.

“This will make the entire process less stressful,” says financial aid office manager Luis Juarez, referring to what can be an overwhelming amount of information required by the FAFSA. Juarez advises students not to wait until the last minute, warning that it can take up to 12 weeks for a student to receive financial aid.

“Apply now. Don’t wait till the last minute,” said Juarez, holding up one of many posters that will soon be hanging around campus. He has also posted information about the open labs in the back of most classrooms on campus.

The heading on the posters reads: “APPLY EARLY—get money on time,” which hopefully will serve as a reminder to students that there is help with the FAFSA if they should need it, said Juarez.

Information on financial aid can also be found on MHCC’s website. To see this information from the home page, click quick links drop, then click financial aid, from there click the blue link that reads: 2012-2013 FAFSA Application Party.

Dates are then listed on the poster.

The financial aid link provides information on the application parties including dates, the kind of help to be expected times and location.

Library moves periodicals to create student study area Learning Commons Specialist and Reference and Instruction Coordinator Denise Georgioff said the new study and reading room in the library has been open because her office has received so many requests for quiet places to study. The periodicals have been moved across the library under the stairway.

Photo by Riley Hinds/The Advocate

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January 20, 2012

"I'm confident that we can stay undefeated."

Robbie Rivers Saint's sophomore guard

Saints men’s basketball team rides a seven-game win streak Chanel Hill The Advocate

It’s an exciting time for the Saints men’s basketball team, who remain undefeated in league play after pushing their win streak to seven with a 61-59 win over the Clackamas Cougars in Oregon City Wednesday night.

The Saints, at 4-0 and tied for first with Chemeketa in the Southern Region, continued their success by getting out on defense early.

“They (the Cougars) started off with a couple of quick scores, and rebounded well,” said head coach Geoff Gibor Thursday. “But we were patient offensively and were up seven points at the half.”

Robbie Rivers, who injured his hip in last week’s game against the PCC Panthers, stepped up to lead the Saints in scoring with 13 points.

Rivers, in his second season with the team, is happy about how his team is playing so far.

“We’re feeling pretty good, confident. I’m confident that we can stay undefeated,” said Rivers.

The boost of confidence is no surprise following the Saints 108-68 slaughter of the Umpqua Riverhawks Jan. 14. The Saints dominated on offense, converted for 33 points off turnovers and outrebounded the Riverhawks 45 to 27.

Photo by Riley Hinds/The Advocate Sophomore Coletun Tarr lead team scoring Sophomore Robbie Rivers squares off against against the PCC Panthers earlier this season. Rivers with 23 points, five rebounds, four steals and led Saints in scoring in Wednesday’s win over Clackamas.

two assists.

But the Saints still have quite a few games ahead in league play and remaining unbeaten won’t be easy. Gibor said, “As long as we can stay focused each game, each game is a new challenge.

It only takes one game for us to think we’re better than we are. Then we’ll get a wake-up call.”

This year’s team, which has a strong class of veteran sophomore leaders, is already showing a unique camaraderie that differs from past teams.

“Last year’s team had really good chemistry off the court. This year’s team has chemistry on and off, ” said Gibor, who added, “They’re not worried about their stats. If someone’s open, they pass the ball and are more concerned about getting the W. That’s what makes us the team we are,” said Gibor.

That chemistry, along with the “system” that Gibor and his coaching staff continue to impress upon their team, seems to be staying in the minds of players. “Rebounding and defense,” said Rivers laughing. “Those are the big ones.”

The next test for the Saints will be the Southwestern Lakers, who will face a tough MHCC crowd Saturday. “We need to get out in transition and limit their number of easy baskets. We need to defend home court,” said Gibor.

“We need to really continue to play defense, and stop the other team and not give them a chance to score,” he said.

The Saints will play the Lakers Saturday at home with a start time of 6 p.m.

“There were lots of turnovers and quick shots. We were not mentally prepared.”

Jocelyn McIntire Saints head women's basketball coach

Women’s basketball team struggles with shooting in loss

By Chanel Hill The Advocate

The pressure is mounting for the Saints women’s basketball team, which lost Wednesday night and now has dropped three of its last four league games.

The Saints fell 82-66 to the Clackamas Cougars Wednesday night in Oregon City, and struggled with

In the city, for the city.

WARNERPACIFIC.EDU PORTLAND, OR

shooting and early scoring.

“We did not play well at all,” a frustrated head coach Jocelyn McIntire said Thursday morning. “We played scared, Clack jumped on us and we didn’t know how to handle it.”

The Saints, who shot 20 percent by going five for 24 from the field, were down 15 points heading into the second half. Accurate and consistent shooting has remained a sore spot for the Saints since the start of the season.

“There were lots of turnovers and quick shots.

We were not mentally prepared,” added McIntire.

On the bright side, sophomore point guard Emily Burch led team with 20 points. “She did out outstanding job,” said McIntire. “There were points when she carried the team on her back. She just did a phenomenal, phenomenal job.”

The loss to the Cougars followed a 63-45 loss to the Umpqua Riverhawks Saturday, Jan. 14, where the Saints shot only 24 percent, going 16 for 65 from the field.

McIntire and her staff are setting aside practice time for shooting and running sets but, she added, shooting problems really have little to do with athletic ability. “Shooting is a tough thing. It’s based a lot on confidence. They have to believe and continue to be confident and stop missing easy buckets,” McIntire said.

The Saints hold a 1-3 record in the Southern Region and will need to improve soon to reach their goal of making it to the post-season. “We’re in league play now, and we set a goal to make it to NWACCs,” said McIntire. “We are definitely talking about that and keeping it in our sights.”

Still, according to McIntire, there is a need for everyone to step up their game and not get complacent.

“Some of the girls are starting to get comfortable,” said McIntire, who will make a line-up change going into Saturday’s game against the Southwestern Lakers.

“We’re going to mix things up, so that players aren’t getting content and are focusing on being smart basketball players,” said McIntire.

McIntire is still optimistic and points to her team’s constant resilience. “The thing about this team is that they don’t give up or roll over and die — ever,” McIntire said.

The Saints will play the Lakers on home court Saturday at 4 p.m.

Photo by Riley Hinds/The Advocate

Head women’s basketball coach Jocelyn McIntire watches her team at practice. Saints play Southwestern CC Saturday at 4 p.m.

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January 20, 2012

Blood Donation Awareness

One unit of blood can save up to three lives —American Red Cross

Photo contributed by Brian J Jolley

Photo from Flickr.com

Red Cross sets higher goal for blood donation

ed What: Rd Drive loo Cross B . o 3 p.m5 t . m . a 2 10 When:anuary 24 and J

Stories by Yuca Kosugi The Advocate

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e Cente

Colleg Where:

g elife.or v i g . w at ww .edu Sign up bwpc@mhcc a email s 03-491-7642 call 5

• • •

Before

Get a good night of sleep.

Eat healthy. Avoid fatty foods and eat an iron-rich diet.

Hydrate. Drink an extra 16 oz. of water before the donation.

MHCC Student Activities Board (SAB) will run a Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday (Jan. 24 and 25) in the College Center and has set a goal to collect 132 units of blood.

Teresa Vega, SAB’s Wellness Program Coordinator, said the goal was set high this term because of the success from last term’s drive. One unit of blood is about one pint.

The blood drive occurs three times a year for the fall, winter and spring terms. Last term ASG ran the drive Oct. 19 and 20 and the Red Cross set a goal for 77 units of blood over both days. The drive attracted 107 donors during the two days but 14 were deferred due to eligibility issues. They collected 87 pints of blood, exceeding their goal by 10 pints.

Vega encourages students to participate either by donating blood or volunteering at the blood drive.

“I would like to see more students on campus be involved with ASG activities and important events such as

• •

Process • • • •

A Blood Drive volunteer will help you register.

A confidential health history and mini-physical will determine if you are eligible.

Donate. It should take about 10 minutes.

After the donation, you receive free snacks and drinks and rest for about 15 minutes before resuming your day.

Salt Lake City, Utah — In June 2008, Brian Jolley’s wife (name undisclosed) recieved blood after she underwent two procedures of dilatation and cuttrage (D&C) and experienced blood loss for over a day. Jolley said they were expecting twins, and this was their third second-trimester miscarriage in a row. “The availability of blood that day was a rare bright spot in an otherwise very dark and painful time,” he said in an email.

• •

• •

What to bring

Photo ID List of any medications you are currently taking Wear comfortable clothes that can easily expose your arms A friend (optional)

After

Hydrate, again. Replenish the fluids you lost during the donation.

Avoid exercise, heavy lifting and other strenuous activities for a day or two.

Blood type superstition Eastern Asian countries, notably Japan and South Korea, have blood-type superstitions similar to astrological signs in America. Just about everyone in Japan knows their blood type since it is checked at birth. Blood-type horoscopes are often found in women’s magazines for relationship, job, and other compatibilities and many believe it to be the basis of different personalities.

Last July, Ryu Matsumoto, a Japanese politician, resigned after a problem caused by him making offensive remarks about the tsunami and earthquake victims. He blamed his actions on his blood type, which is B, to which he said that it makes him “irritable, impetuous and my intentions don’t always come across,” at a press conference for his resignation.

Information from JapanVisitor.com

the blood drive,” said Vega.

She also added that the top reason prospective donors get deferred are because of iron deficiency. She encourages students to eat a full, healthy meal before giving blood.

People may schedule an appointment to donate at www. givelife.org with the sponsor code (mhcc) or they can sign up at the SAB office in the College Center or email Vega.

Walk-ins on the day of are also welcome, but there is no guarantee if appointments are filled up.

There are three types of volunteers: registration, escort and canteen. A registration volunteer greets donors, checks them in, assists walk-ins and helps with scheduling. An escort donor walks around campus to recruit donors on the day of the drive. A canteen volunteer serves drinks and snacks after donors have given blood and chats with them for a few minutes to make sure they are fine before leaving.

People interested in donating or volunteering at the blood drive may contact Vega for more information. Vega’s email is sabwpc@mhcc.edu and her office phone number is 503-491-7642. People may also visit her office in the SAB offices in the College Center.

Dogs can donate, too Although the Red Cross Blood Donation is collecting blood for humans, canines can also donate blood at designated veterinary clinics as well. DoveLewis in Northwest Portland and Veterinary Center of America - Northwest Veterinary Specialists (VCANWVS) in Clackamas run blood banks for dogs. Each location has its own requirements but both only take donations from dogs since cats require sedation and special care, so cats are limited to employee pets under proper care.

According to VCA, a unit of blood can help up to four animals.

Volunteered pets also receive a full physical exam among other veterinary care and treats and toys. However, DoveLewis states that it cannot be the pet’s regular service provider.

A full list of requirements and complete information can be found at vcaspecialtyvets.com and dovelewis.org.

Blood type personalities

O A B AB

trendsetter, loyal, passionate, self-confident, independent, ambitious, vain, jealous calm, patient, sensitive, responsible, overcautious, stubborn, unable to relax individualist, dislike custom, strong, optimistic, creative, flexible, wild, unpredictable cool, controlled, rational, sociable, popular, critical, sometimes standoffish, indecisive