The Advocate Vol. 50 Issue 14 - January 23, 2015

The Independent Student Voice of Mt. Hood Community College

Jan. 23, 2015

Volume 50, Issue 14

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OPINION

January 23, 2015

Editorial | Solitude is the lost tool for peace and service to others

Photo by Beka Haugen

Solitude has become a lost art in today’s busy urban life. Its dying breath is rarely felt under the siege of stimulated culture. Message alerts, Facebook notifications, streaming videos - we’ve become a generation of individuals who don’t take time to reflect in solitude, even when we are alone. Many of us have smartphones and tablets to accompany us when we are by ourselves. But, if we could put down all that distraction for one hour a week, it could make all the difference for humanity.

We constantly crave that new Vine. We cannot wait for that new blog post, YouTube video, or latest season to appear on Netflix.

We are desperate for that new comment on Facebook or heart on Instagram. If that isn’t the case, why are we always feeding ourselves with those things?

You know the saying, “You are what you eat”? There’s a possibility that we take in more than what we give out. Health professionals have been trying to combat the gluttony pandemic by treating it as strictly an obesity endemic in America for so long, but perhaps we are neglecting what’s more important - the inner being/ soul / mind/ whatever you want to call it.

According to the Business Insider website, Americans spend about an hour a day on their phones. It’s not like people sit for an hour using their phones, and then they’re done.

No, you see people checking their phones constantly. When are we most likely to be

the advocate Editor-in-Chief Greg Leonov Lifestyle Editor Adam Elwell News Editor Hayden Hunter

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browsing the Internet? When we are alone, of course! An hour out of each day really isn’t much, but that one hour spent browsing dumb memes, taking selfies, and playing trivia crack could each steal precious moments of solitude.

How often do we spend time alone when we have responsibilities such as school, work, families, shopping, and holidays? It’s like we don’t have much time for actual solitude unless we’re sleeping.

The time we do spend alone isn’t spent on rejuvenating the mind. Meditation, the source of peace for many, is often looked upon as some sort of mindless religious convention, but even medical journals, WebMD, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Harvard University, and many other groups and studies acknowledge the positive effects of meditation. Meditation lowers blood pressure, lowers anxiety, soothes chronic pain, and boosts the immune system.

In order to meditate, one must be free from distractions, which is where solitude comes in handy.

One reason why someone may be afraid to meditate alone is the anxiety experienced from being lonely. Practicing solitude might be the right way to learn how to be comfortable without being around people all the time.

Secondly, people must sometimes resist the craving to know the answer to everything.

The quickest way is to Google the answer.

Rarely do people just sit, imagine, and mar-

vel at things without the need to know every technical detail about what they are observing.

Journalists, scientists, and other groups of well-educated people understand the desire to know everything. But sometimes it’s actually productive to sit back, gaze at the stars, and let their essence capture your focus. MHCC psychology instructor Stephanie Cram teaches in her Psych 201 class that the brain needs 15 minutes per day “off the leash.”

In other words, we need to be able to imagine, like children do: no motive, no schedule, no strategy.

Not only do we need time to just allow the mind to wander, but we also need to take time alone to examine ourselves, examine our thoughts, and sort through the good and the bad. It’s important to trash the bad, and store the positive thoughts and attitudes. Every day we need to examine how we treated our friends and family. We should motivate ourselves for the future and speak kind words to ourselves.

For some of us, connecting to a higher power helps us cope and strengthen us when we know we cannot do things on our own.

Meditation started as a spiritual practice in general, but anyone can use it as a tool to clear the mind, filter the thoughts, or focus continually on one aspect of a beautiful thing.

And if we nourish our minds with things that are beneficial to ourselves, we will benefit others as a result.

The book, Quiet: The Power Of Introverts

by Susan Cain, describes Mahatma Gandhi as a man who sought to speak every word with relevance. Gandhi said: “I have naturally formed the habit of restraining my thoughts.

A thoughtless word hardly ever escaped my tongue or pen. Experience has taught me that silence is part of the spiritual discipline of a votary of truth. We find so many people impatient to talk. All this talking can hardly be said to be of any benefit to the world.”

Indeed, we have become impatient people.

Some have used social media in the wrong way. We have become lonely and selfish for all the wrong reasons. We put out things - selfies,

Sports Editor Brandon Raleigh

Opinion Editor Emily Wintringham

Audio Engineer Jake Swindell

Copy Editor Hayden Hunter

Video Editors Aurora Angeles Thomas Stewart

Reporters Will Darkins Jon Fuccillo Austin Guerrero Isaiah Ishman Alex Seymour Jake Swindell Q Quarterman

Ad Manager David Ahlson Photo Editor Beka Haugen

Graphic Designer Heather Golan

Advisers Howard Buck, Dan Ernst Bob Watkins E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu Phone: 503-491-7250 www.advocate-online.net #mhccadvocate Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030

Chat with Barney Do you spend time in solitude or meditation? Why or why not?

“Yes, for my faith. As a devout pagan, (meditation) helps me to center myself. I would suggest it for anyone who wants to find that center within themselves and take stock of what’s important.”

Lør Brulé Student, History major and Director of Student Government

“I walk alone in the nursery pads near my house. I walk in the dark and look at the stars.”

Faith Russell Student, business major

chatwithbarney@gmail.com statuses, links, photos - for the purpose of taking in and consuming the results.

We should instead sincerely take in positive things, like meditation, reflection, rejuvenation, to give back to the world. As Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

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

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

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

Please bring submissions to The Advocate in Room 1369, or e-mail them to 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. Cover graphic by Heather Golan Cover graphic by Heather Golan - the advocate

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OPINION

January 23, 2015

Column | Gandhi and Dr. King: the avatars of peace “Our group of friends are “I used to do yoga, it pretty diverse.” (meditation) was just a part of my cooldown. It was a good way for my Alex Garcia body to relax and help my breathing, which is what yoga is all about.

I don’t really do yoga anymore, so that is kind of an afterthought.”

Sarina Castanedo Student, ASOT degree.

“Yes I do. Reasons why I meditate include internal serenity.”

Gaage Runcorn Student, IT major

“Yes. For me, meditation is paying attention on one thing and only one thing. It’s for being in the moment.”

Kylie Youngblood Student, Biology major

David Ahlson

the advocate

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eace through nonviolent resistance – this is, perhaps, the most elusive goal in the history of mankind. More noble in nature than the quest for the Holy Grail or the Fountain of Youth, and far more beneficial a cause than the quest for the fabled City of Cibola.

Few human beings have achieved this goal in so profound a way as Mahatma Gandhi. Such was Gandhiji’s (The Gandhi’s) influence on political thinkers of our time that our own civil rights movement was largely shaped by his ideas in the form of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Both men adopted and adhered to a strict policy of nonviolence. They believed in ordered social change accomplished by civil disobedience. “Civil” meaning they were against laws that were unjust while also demonstrating against those who oppressed them in the name of “justice.” No violent riots, no looting, nor rampant destruction. Simply peaceful dissent and refusal to comply with injustice.

King and Gandhi advocated that at some point you must say, “This far and no further!” Then you must also understand that there will be no violent retaliation and no offer of violence nor harm. You must be prepared to suffer for your cause. You will be beaten, incarcerated, and abused.

A well-defined goal and achievable results are what both men shared, apart from their commitment to peaceful resistance. Neither advocated revolution without a plan. They worked to give the people more than hope, to give them a solid plan of action before offering change. Both ultimately lost their lives before they saw their visions fully realized; however, both believed that they served a cause they deemed to be worthy of their lives.

Through their noble endeavors, they have shaped the lives of billions and the world in which we live. The voice of Peace is growing louder, arguably aided the most by education of the masses and the living arts.

When you stand peacefully against a world of violence, you cannot but be noticed. These men and countless others will continue to live on as long as the truth of peaceful adherence to rightness is maintained.

One of the most forgotten things from the minds of many Americans is the inherent spirituality of these men. King was a reverend, and more importantly, a sincere imitator of all the truly beneficent claims of Christ.

The Mahatma, a devout Hindu, was called “Great Soul,” as much for his spiritual achievements as he was for his

political ones.

In the 1920s, Gandhiji posed his “Seven Social Evils” – almost an analog to the Seven Deadly Sins of Christianity – and they remain excruciatingly applicable today.

1. Politics without Principles 2. Wealth without Work 3. Commerce without Morality 4. Education without Character 5. Pleasure without Conscience 6. Science without Humanity 7. Worship without Sacrifice By pursuing such practical goals peacefully rather than seeking some lofty esoteric paradise through war mankind can, perchance, finally find redemption and respite from eons of suffering and death.

Will you stand for Peace for our time?

“When you stand peacefully against a world of violence, you cannot but be noticed.”

Graphics by Heather Golan - The Advocate

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the advocate

NEWS

January 23, 2015

Nutshell News

Students spend MLK Day serving community

Mt Hood students joined other volunteers from Concordia University on Monday to perform community service for the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service.

Pablo Perez, an MHCC international student from Honduras and part of the SEED program, attended the work part along with members from ASG, SOAR, and even the SUN program.

“We got to do a lot of gardening, removed some debris, prepared seeds for planting, we even learned how they make compost piles,” Perez said about a garden project located at a Portland-area public school.

According to Perez, close to 1,000 people showed up for this one event.

“It’s really nice to see many young leaders work for the community,” he said. His favorite part was the reflection participants had to give at the end of the event, thinking about why they helped out their community that day.

Perez said he believes that it “is important to carry on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.”

“It’s a fun activity; you can make a lot of friends from different universities, also getting inspiration from it,” said Perez.

-Hayden Hunter

ASG leaders lobby in Salem for students Hayden Hunter the advocate

On Feb. 12, Associated Student Government leaders from MHCC will take a bus along with 50 people down to Salem to lobby for the school’s state funding and to increase personal identification options.

Skye Troy, ASG director of state and federal affairs, attended an Oregon Community College Student Association statewide board that supports the advocacy of community colleges.

In a survey taken last year, about 30,000 students from colleges all over Oregon were asked to rank their top ten issues with college life. Troy said the results were similar across the state. Six subjects stood out among the bunch: affordability, public safety, LGBTQA data collection, public safety reform, cultural competency, and sexual assault.

One bill in particular that students will advocate for deals specifically with cultural competence. “This will be centered around getting open communications between colleges and universities,” said Troy.

Another bill they will be pressing is the LGBTQA data collection bill. This would give the option for students and staff to identify sexual orientation on forms used by institutions to collect demographic data. The measure “gives students the right to be called what they want to be called,” said Troy meaning, it would allow students to decide upon a preferred first name, if the name they currently use is no longer desired, going along with the

Graphics by Kristen Selak

preferred first name policy.

She said this bill doesn’t just apply to LQBTQA members. “This is just for any demographic (individual) who wants to have a different name than their parents gave them,” she said. “With this kind of data information we (campus leadership) can better understand who it is we are serving and how we serve them better.”

The biggest subject that will be breached Feb. 12 is the topic of affordability. According to Troy, $560 million has been put in the annual state budget for Oregon’s community

colleges. This is more than the schools got last year, but still not enough to allow MHCC to avoid tuition increases, she said.

There is still work to be done, and community college supporters have much to do on their own campuses, Troy said.

“We (lobbyists) already have a lot of bills for these kinds of issues,” but “there’s no execution, no enforcement, just words,” she said.

“We really need to take these bills apply them to our schools and make this a reality for us.”

Forensics National women’s organization comes to MHCC team hosting AAUW finds ways to empower MHCC women tournament Hayden Hunter on Saturday the advocate

Mt. Hood’s Forensics team will be hosting this season’s second Greater Portland Parliamentary Debate Tournament on campus on Saturday, open for all students and the public to attend.

The event features a number of regional schools, including teams from the University of Washington, Oregon State University, Lewis and Clark College, Lower Columbia College, Rogue Community College, Clark College, University of Portland, and Bellevue College.

Debates start at 7:30 a.m. and will run until about 7:15 p.m.

Guests may go to the registration center in classroom AC1700 to find which rooms will host each scheduled debate.

-Greg Leonov

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The Association of American University Women, or AAUW, is a nationally recognized organization that has recently opened a branch at MHCC. The club meets Mondays and Fridays at noon in the Diversity Resource Center.

All students are welcome, men as well as women.

According to the AAUW website, the organization was founded in 1881 and works to better the lives of women and their families through empowerment. To do this, women members often must look at what they need to overcome, which might include prioritizing families’ needs over their own education.

“All while the breadwinner, your husband, is off advancing his career, or education,” said Angela Arriaga, Mt. Hood’s AAUW branch president, giving one example.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is another issue the AAUW has taken on. Workplace superiors have often pushed inappropriate behavior on women, or even propositioned them, “offering them raises or bonuses if they (women) would do this or that,” said Arriaga.

One of the biggest humps AAUW members work to hurdle is gaining equal income in the male-dominant sectors of science, technology, engineering, and math (so-called “STEM” jobs) “A lot of women, if they don’t have the confidence, leadership, and mentorship prior to getting to the negotiation table, they will take what they are offered, opposed to having that wisdom to aim for what is equal,” Arriaga said.

Arriaga holds this matter close to heart.

She said her daughter is excellent at math, but not yet a part of AAUW. The MHCC faction has been up and running for two weeks now, but is gaining traction fast, she said. “I think we are going to need a bigger meeting room

– soon,” she said, evaluating the current DRC site.

“I was surprised at how many women, and men, faculty were a part of the AAUW on the national level. MHCC President Debra Derr, herself, is a member,” she noted.

And, Derr has nothing but good things to say about AAUW and its new Mt. Hood branch.

“I believe that organizations like AAUW help all women through their advocacy efforts,” Derr said. “Additionally, AAUW believes in supporting women in leadership roles. If any person has confidence in his/her abilities, has clear direction, and support – watch them fly.

“AAUW believes in people. They advocate for the rights of women, and since their founding in 1881, have been there by our side,” she said.

the advocate

NEWS

January 23, 2015

Mosbergen helps addicts overcome hopelessness Greg Leonov the advocate

When Lorrie Mosbergen sits down to counsel someone who is working to turn their life around, the first she does is disclose the fact that she has a troubled history as well, and understands the struggles of addiction.

Mosbergen is a Mt. Hood student who spent last Winter term working as a workstudy student at the front desk in the Student Union serving anyone who passed through.

She experienced a series of low points in her life before becoming a serious student at the college.

Mosbergen is in MHCC’s Mental Health and Human Services program. She is interested in counseling drug addicts because she feels she has a personal connection to them.

She was addicted to methamphetamines for about eight years, after being off the drug since 1985. She began using again, after a 17year relationship started to collapse. “It didn’t take long for everything to fall apart,” she said.

“I lost my job, lost my place of living, lost my custody of my kids... (was) just living in a car.

“One day I just decided, ‘Enough.’ I was having a lot of paranoid feelings, like every time I went somewhere, I felt like everyone

was looking at me,” she said.

Mosbergen quit using, through sheer willpower. “One day I just quit and that was that, I haven’t used again. I didn’t go to treatment, I didn’t go to A.A., I didn’t do any of that stuff.”

She said the birth of her grandson and death of her boyfriend at that time were the main reasons for her decision to give up the drug. “I felt like I had a lot of fun with the guy that I’d been with who died, and I would never be able to have that fun again.

“My teenage daughter (had) a baby prematurely, and that was probably the real beginning for me because I didn’t think she would be able to handle it (for) very long, and I didn’t want her to lose that baby.”

Mosbergen lives with her daughter and grandkids. When her daughter is working, Mosbergen spends time with the kids. “When she works - she works at night - I’m the mom then. I help people do their homework, get ready for bed, fix dinner, that kind of stuff. We go to movies a lot.”

She said she loves to take her family to Native American Powwows. “I don’t even know how to describe ‘Powwow.’ The first time I went to a Powwow, I felt like ‘this is where I should have been my whole life,’ ” she said. “I’m not an enrolled tribal member, but I feel like

that’s who I am, that’s who we are as a family.

“To this day it makes the hair on my arms stand up. I’ve taken people that aren’t Native to Powwows before and they said they experience the same thing. It’s almost like a cleansing thing for me.”

Currently, Mosbergen interns for the Salvation Army, helping addicts get over their habits. When counseling, Mosbergen always makes known the fact that she has a history with substance abuse. “The first thing I do is, I disclose to them that I am in recovery, and that I’ve done a lot of bad things in the past,” and she tells them that they “shouldn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed to say anything to me, and it really seems to enhance the therapeutic bond.”

Even though she never went through treatment herself, she feels she can really connect with the people she is working to help.

“It sounds kind of contradictory to what I’m trying to do with helping people in treatment, but I know what it feels like to be high, I know the things that people do to get high, and I feel like I have that sort of connection with them.”

Mosbergen hopes to help inmates, too. “It just sounds really intriguing to me,” she said.

“Three of the people from our graduating cohort from last year got hired at prisons and they do a lot of groups and they’re gonna have

club counseling and I just think it sounds like something I could do.”

She also hopes to counsel Native Americans.

“I really hope to help my people with their addiction. That was my initial purpose when I came to school, and I know there’s a lot of Native American people incarcerated,” she said.

“That’s the way I feel I could start helping them out.”

Photo by Beka Haugen - The Advocate

MHCC student Lorrie Mosbergen said her experience with addiction helps her to connect with others going through similar circumstances.

Find regional transfer options in Oregon on transfer day Will Darkins the advocate

Mt. Hood Community College will host its annual Oregon Transfer event on Thursday to provide information to students interested in transferring to a four-year college.

The session will run 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Vista Dining area.

More than 35 universities around Oregon and the Pacific Northwest will be represented during the event. They include Portland State University, Oregon State University, Marylhurst University, and Washington State University. Representatives will provide informa-

tion regarding tuition costs, university culture, and different majors of study.

In a world economy where employment is hard to come by, a four-year degree greatly helps start that process. That’s why the event can be so helpful.

“It will be a good chance for (students) to talk one-on-one with the college transfer advisers,” said Calvin Walker, MHCC academic adviser. He urges students to take advantage.

“Even if you don’t know what it is that you want to do, that degree means more earning power over a lifetime,” he said.

Walker graduated from Portland State University with a speech communication de-

gree, though he remained uncertain about his future after leaving college. “I had been playing music all my life, and I always wanted to do it,” he said. “But there was a rational side to me that said, ‘not having credibility in what you do never helps.’ That’s why I knew I had to get that degree.”

Though he continued to pursue his music career – as a drummer, trumpet player or singer, he has opened for the likes of Miles Davis – and has had an active career in music production, Walker never forgot the importance of his undergraduate degree. “The communication degree encompassed a little bit of sociology, a little bit of pathology. It has a little bit of

everything. That’s why I loved it,” he said.

Degrees at MHCC are offered at these four-year universities with added benefits. “(PSU) is constructing a new business building on their campus that will open next year,” Walker said. “Transferring to a program like that means you’re making history by being one of the first students to study there.”

He said the most popular destinations for transferring Mt. Hood students are PSU and OSU. Each provides its own collegiate appeal.

“Those colleges provide experiences varying from living in a city, to experiencing the classic small-town college feel of Corvallis,” he said.

“There’s something for everybody.”

ASG senate positions vacant due to eligibility conflicts Greg Leonov the advocate

Two positions in the ASG senate were vacated Jan. 8 during the first senate meeting of Winter Term.

Kenneth Dunn, the senator of Allied Health and Nursing, and Daniel Sandoval, senator of Communications and ASG Historian, gave up their positions as a result of not meeting eligibility requirements set by ASG bylaws.

Pam Kuretich, Mt. Hood’s Student Events & Special Projects coordinator, couldn’t give specific details on the departures because they involve “personnel issues,” but emailed Article 2 of the ASG bylaws, which outline the eligibility of ASG members.

Article 2, Section A states that ASG members who fail to achieve a 2.0 GPA must either “petition the ASMHCC Senate for an extraordinary waiver,” or an exception may “be granted by an affirmation vote of 2/3 of

the Senate.”

Section B states that students who either fail to meet a 2.0 GPA requirement, or take “a (6) credit hour course load shall automatically be notified of ineligibility.”

Section B.1 states that members of ASG need to either submit an “extraordinary waiver,” or “voluntarily resign.” If the member fails to meet either of the criteria, they will be immediately removed from ASG. Section B.2 states that an “extraordinary

waiver,” needs to be approved by a 2/3 vote of the Senate with the petitioner not participating in the vote.

Mt. Hood’s ASG faculty advisers will meet with ASG President Alma Pacheco and Vice President Cristian Urzua to “determine if we (ASG) will re-hire for the senate positions,” said Kuretich. “In the interim, we have a very capable senate that is stepping up to fill in any gaps related to the loss of two senate positions.”

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the advocate

NEWS

January 23, 2015

Arun Gadhi answers questions about the “Culture of Violence” in the DRC after giving his presentation.

Photo by Aurora Angeles

Arun Gandhi carries ‘Grandfather’s’ torch to MHCC

David Ahlson & Hayden Hunter the advocate

Mahatma Gandhi’s fifth grandson, Arun Gandhi, visited MHCC on Thursday to give a presentation on how we, as human beings, can combat our culture of violence.

Gandhi began his visit to Mt. Hood by holding an informal Q-and-A session in the Town and Gown (T&G) room.

Entering the T&G room, the anticipation was practically palpable. Gandhi was already there, which explained the guests’ tension.

They were already scurrying for the seats nearest to him.

Silence engulfed the room for a good minute as the gravity of who was sitting before them sank into the people’s minds. Finally, one soul braved the silence to ask a complicated question about how one could choose between the lesser of two evils involving the government and humanity.

Gandhi smiled and answered in kind: “If the government is for the people by the people, of the people, it (the answer) should be to get smarter; the fault is ours.” This went on, back and forth, for an hour.

Afterward, Gandhi joined close to 50 MHCC benefactors and supporters to enjoy a nice meal. Guests were chatting and laughing as he took his seat.

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The meal that was prepared was vegan, out of respect for Gandhi, a Hindu. The main course was fettuccine pasta topped with mushroom Bolognese, with salad and steamed veggies for side dishes. Even the cake was vegan, drizzled with fresh fruit.

Some people were timid to eat at first, but joined in after seeing the other guests cleaning their plates. As for how good the food was, all that can be said is that the dishwasher’s job was going to be very easy this night.

As the guests finished, Gandhi was introduced by MHCC President Debbie Derr, who said, “I’m a little star struck … we are so fortunate to have him here.” Derr also could not help but embarrass her daughter in the audience by telling all she is a big fan of Arun Gandhi’s.

As Gandhi took the podium the room fell more silent, as if the guests might miss a syllable if a penny dropped. The only two who did not seem engrossed by Gandhi were two little girls dressed appropriately in bright pink, too busy to look up because they were allowed

their cake.

He broke the ice with, “You are lucky you were not hosting Grandfather,” explaining how the Mahatma would mix together different nutritional foods in a pot, cook them, add no spices, and eat it as his meal. Gandhiji (Mahatma) “did not eat food for taste,” but solely for sustenance, his grandson said.

After speaking, Gandhi went to the main College Theater to discuss how humanity can overcome its current culture of violence through nonviolent means.

Arun’s message remains unchanged from that of “Grandfather,” the Mahatma. Nonviolence is not just a philosophy; instead, it is a way of life that teaches a mindfulness of all things no matter how seemingly inconsequential. Nonviolence is to be practiced in all things, not just the physical forms of violence, but also, its passive forms.

So pervaded is our culture by violence that we take its presence for granted. Whether the waste of a three-inch nub of pencil thrown out by a 12-year-old Arun, or the mismanagement of a nation’s assets, the violence is the same, he explained. It is violence against the resources

of the world, and it becomes violence against the people who are deprived of their necessities by our excesses.

The answer is not sending aid to these peo-

“We will never be able to destroy evil, because everybody is capable of evil.”

Photo by Beka Hagen

Arun Gandhi gives his presentation in the theater.

ple. Gandhi said that such acts are born of “pity, which we do not need. Rather, we (poorer nations) need compassion.” Compassion, he said, is finding how those who need help are strong

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NEWS

January 23, 2015

and reminding them that they are strong – building them up, educating them, and showing them they did it themselves.

The answer is to stop the violence we are committing; stop the excesses, stop the pity. Start the love, start the compassion.

These are fundamental tenets of all faiths.

No faith teaches hate or violence, rather they teach mindfulness and compassion, labor, and reward.

Like the simple farmer he once was, Gandhi’s message is framed with farming terminology. His message, most fundamentally, is to cultivate that place inside yourself where you are free from violence of any kind, and pour all of yourself into it. It will not be easy. It will take work. You will need to pull weeds. It is uncomfortable, but necessary. It will be worth it, he said.

He told of meeting a member of the South African parliament, a proponent of apartheid, and spending a week with the man and his wife. Though Gandhi said his initial instinct was to rail against the man for the evils he had supported, he instead treated the man with love and compassion.

Gandhi and his wife, who was Indian-born and hence disallowed from accompanying her husband to the man’s home in South Africa, spent the week with the man and his wife. They discussed apartheid in depth, and when it became “too delicate” they simply changed the subject to other topics. They did not try to force the issue.

By the end of this week, though, the South African Nationalist - defender of apartheid - and his wife both wept with remorse and begged forgiveness. They vowed to return home, to fight to end apartheid, and they did. Gandhi said the man’s change of heart cost his seat in parliament, as well as his party membership, but gained him something much more valuable – compassion for humanity.

To break the cycle of violence in a very real way, Gandhi compares anger to electricity, a lesson from Grandfather. “Anger, like electricity, may be harnessed to benefit mankind if we first transform it into compassion and love, and channel it back into the world.” Otherwise it becomes dangerous and destructive. “Keep an anger journal,” he says, “and don’t just pour your anger into it, but change it into intelligence.”

As an example, Gandhi, related his effort to obtain his grandfather’s signature.

Around this time, the Mahatma began selling his autographs for 5 rupees (Indian currency) in order to generate revenue for social programs. Not having any money, young Arun thought to deceive his grandfather.

He slipped in his own autograph book with no money inside. When the Mahatma

came to this book, he asked, “Why is there no money?” Young Arun told him that it was his own book, and that since the Mahatma was his grandfather he was not supposed to have to pay. Mahatma, in his own gentle way, challenged his young grandson to a contest of intelligence.

He forbade his grandson from obtaining the money from any source other than his own work, and set him to the task. (Arun Gandhi relates this story with a soft smile and the twinkle of his eye tells you he is reliving the moments as he shares the tale.)

Young Arun had the audacity to repeatedly interrupt negotiations with high-ranking politicians and world leaders in the hopes of getting his grandfather to sign his book in haste to be rid of him. Instead, Mahatma would graciously tolerate the boy, and only when Arun became particularly raucous, would the Great Soul gently place his hands over the boy’s mouth and press his head lovingly to his chest and hold him there while continuing to talk politics.

This radical approach to nonviolence, while not a quick fix, will work if given time and effort, Gandhi told the MHCC audience. He said that our job is to be like the farmer and plant seeds of peace in the minds of people that will blossom into compassion in the world.

Following the presentation, the Advocate met with Arun Gandhi, along with Derr and Bruce Battle, Mt. Hood marketing director. Gandhi elaborated on the culture of violence, pointing out one of the sources: early childhood.

“What the kids learn in the first five years of their life makes a big impact on them.”

The discussion then was diverted to how people control others. Gandhi observed, “The more fear that you can put into a person, the more control you have.”

And this just causes further escalation, he said.

Gandhi ended the encounter by addressing how people can overcome sadness.

“If we feel sorry and do nothing about it, it is bad, or if we feel sorry and seek revenge for it, it is even worse.”

“If we change ourselves we can change the world, and changing ourselves begins with changing our language and methods of communication.”

T P5 SONGS

Each week the advocate supplies you with our top five songs for your playlist.

This week’s theme is nerd rock in honor of pdx comic con! Listen to each song and solve for rock.

1

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE | JOHN LENNON

2

CORTEZ THE KILLER | NEIL YOUNG

3

OVER THE RAINBOW | ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWO’OLE

4

THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN’ | FLOGGING MOLLY

5 Graphic by Heather Golan FROM A DISTANCE | BETTE MIDLER

7

the advocate

LIFESTYLE

January 23, 2015

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Woodford prepared to ‘make magic’ Adam Elwell the advocate

Peter Woodford, who is studying organic chemistry at Mt. Hood, portrays an actor, Robert Martin, in MHCC’s upcoming rendition of the play,“The Drowsy Chaperone.”

Woodford said that he tries not to think of what he does as simply “playing a character.”

“A lot of the fun in playing him is that I get to deal with the whole ‘actor playing the part.’ I’m Percy Hieman, the actor playing Robert, and he’s supposed to be a terrible actor.”

The story gets more complicated when it comes to Woodford’s part and the rest of the story.

“Each character embodies a different vice, and his, is thinking he’s awesome,” he explained.

Woodford added that Robert is an ostentatious person. “Robert is fun.

He’s a little empty between the ears - he’s just silly. He is ridiculous, as most of the characters in the show are.”

If Robert is silly, then “The Drowsy Chaperone” would be an exercise in absurdism. “It’s big.

It’s flashy,” said Woodford.

For all of the technical acting and preparation required for a play in this style, Woodford says he’s not worried. “I’m really confident in the direction we’re going. We’re busting our butts. I don’t want to get people too excited, but everyone has a really positive attitude” about a solid performance.

For playing a character who plays a character, Woodford stays grounded in his personal life. “I’m a chemistry student. I’m in organic chemistry right now. It’s a blast; I like theater, I like the arts, and stuff, but I want to not be hungry for the rest of my life. So, that’s why I decided to go into chemistry.”

“It’s weird because acting and art is sort of a more metaphysical, poetic approach towards understanding, whereas science is more of a thoughtful and logical approach at understanding. So, I like to dip my toes in both.”

Not that one would demean the other, according to Woodford. “My first year I had calculus, physics, chemistry, and acting, so I was very much in the academic realm, and just had the acting class for the humanities credit, and because I liked to do it in high school.“ “And when I was in the academic realm, acting just sounded awesome. It was like, ‘Do I really want to go down that road? Maybe I should devote my life to acting.’ And now that I’m in the show and I’m in acting class it makes me more focused on chemistry; it’s sort of like the grass is always greener on the other side.”

Woodford expressed concern about coming off as pretentious, but in his defense he is rather familiar with the play. “I’ve actually done the show before. I did it my junior year in high school. To quote the director, ‘we made magic.’ ”

BIG

It’s .

It’s Flashy.

-Peter Woodford

photo by Beka Haugen

8

the advocate

LIFESTYLE

January 23, 2015

web photo

‘Calvary Captain’ earns commemoration

The Decemberists release new album Adam Elwell the advocate

For a Portland-area band that has song titles like “The Singer Addresses His Audience,” The Decemberists’ new album, “Calvary Captain,” is strangely tolerable, and – dare I say it? – a little reminiscent of the late, great, R.E.M. But, of course touring with Peter Buck (lead guitarist of R.E.M.) can have that effect.

The opening number, “The Singer…” is a somber guitar-pop ballad that sets the tone for the rest of the album, but it’s not until the second track, also the album’s namesake, “Calvary Captain,” that the group really hits its stride.

After that, there isn’t one disappointing track.

The Decemberists have accumulated such a following

with their infectious tunes that Portland Mayor Charlie Hales recently declared Jan. 20, 2015, as Decemberists day. No reason was given why Decemberists day is in January, not December.

Put simply, if you like R.E.M., then you’re going to like the “Calvary Captain.” But that’s not to imply that the group is a poor imitation, or doesn’t have their own artistic merit. On the contrary, they are overflowing with it; the rambling, ballads and stream-of -consciousness lyrics give fresh breath to a classic style.

Last, but certainly not least, without giving away too much, there is a cameo by Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson of “Parks and Recreation”) on one music video to remain unnamed. He plays a Frenchman. Just let that sink in.

Top: The Decemberists appear on “The Simpsons.”

Bottom: Mayor Charlie Hales declares Jan. 20, 2015, “The Decemberists Day” in Portland.

web

Namaste: a great option for students on a budget Isaiah Ishman the advocate

Namaste is an Indian food buffet, but I urge those of you who are “hot dog/hamburger/pizza, maybe sushi” type of people to expand your horizons just a little bit.

I first heard of the Indian buffet, at the corner of Northeast 82nd Avenue and Sandy Boulevard, through word of mouth, but I also did my research. Namaste got 4 stars on Yelp, 83 percent on urbanspoon, was well reviewed by the Portland Mercury newspaper, and the list goes on. I took Advocate co-writer Adam Elwell there for lunch to check out the buffet, eat, and give as much of a helpful review as possible.

When you drive up to Namaste, it is nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding apartments, slightly worn down on the outside like most weather-burdened restaurants in Portland. You walk in, get a table, and then, for the most part, are mostly left to your own devices. There is no menu, and the names of the various dishes are written in Indian so there is a good chance you won’t know what you’re eating, even with the little description on the bottom of the title.

My advice: Dive in. Visually the buffet is a multicolored/multi-textured collection of authentic Indian dishes, some of which may be visually unappealing to the typical west-

ern sense of how food should be portrayed.

However, trust your taste buds; I guarantee that you will have a favorite dish by the time you finish.

Adam’s favorite dishes were the mixed vegetable pakoras, the masala chicken, and the mango ice cream. He described the pakoras as “a delicious free-form french fry.” My favorite dishes were the tandoori chicken, the malai kofta (which is a spiced spinach/cheese mix), and the mango ice cream. People must experience the mango ice cream!

My overall take is that this place is a bit of a drive from Mt. Hood, it’s hidden and atypical compared to the average restaurant. This place seems to cater to its community and area, which is great, but may throw some of you off. The servers are really nice and for the amount of food it is relatively cheap. I personally enjoy the food, as it is authentic, flavorful, and bold. If you do not like that, then you will not like Namaste.

I can tell that the influx of outside visitors has affected the menu a little bit, which I personally do not like. The food isn’t that spicy or too out there, and that seems to be because it might turn off customers with particular tastes.

Nonetheless, Namaste is a great option for college students who are trying to switch it up on a budget. I would give this restaurant a 5/5.

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Top: Namaste Indian Cuisine, located in northeast Portland. Bottom: vegetable pakora

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9

the advocate

SPORTS

January 23, 2015

Panthers pounce on Saints in waning moments Brandon Raleigh the advocate

Photo by Beka Haugen - the advocate

Jeremy Brown goes up for a layup against Portland CC Wednesday.

Coming off a 70-65 win over Lane last Saturday, the MHCC men’s hoops team squared off against Portland Community College on Wednesday night. The game, full of ups and downs, saw the Panthers sneak out of the Mt. Hood gym by the skin of their teeth, beating the Saints, 77-75.

The game started in Portland’s favor, as they led off with a couple-basket lead over the Saints. Mt. Hood quickly answered to take a lead its own, which it held all the way to the half, at 36-33.

In the second half, the Saints would build a near-double-digit lead and were on the verge of pulling away from the Panthers.

But, late in the game, Portland rallied behind a big game from guard Tay Arigbon to take a three-point lead with nearly a minute to play.

With just seconds remaining, Saint freshman forward Kody Kennedy drew a foul, earning him a trip to the free-throw line.

After he nailed the first free throw, the Saints trailed by only two, at 75-73.

Kennedy missed the second, but MHCC forward (and Saints star of the game) Oleg Marandyuk was able to pull down the offensive rebound and put it back to even the score with seven seconds to play.

A Portland timeout advanced the Panthers just past half court. They inbounded to Arigbon who was able to draw a foul with four seconds remaining.

Arigbon missed the first free throw, but was able to sink the crucial second free throw to give the Panthers a one-point advantage.

Saints head coach Geoff Gibor called time, advancing the ball for one last play. Marandyuk, who had 27 points at this point, ran off a screen to catch the pass. He attacked the basket

and a crowd of Panthers, yet no foul was called.

The Panthers controlled the wild shot and drew a foul with 0.4 seconds remaining.

A made free throw gave the Panthers a 77-75 lead. The Saints inbounded the ball, but did not have enough time to get a shot off.

The atmosphere in the gym following the heart breaker was depressing, as the loss hit players and fans deeply.

Coach Gibor was speechless moments later. After a pause, he discussed the game’s tough outcome. “Too many turnovers, 14, but they (Portland) capitalized on them,” he said. “They got 20 points off of 14 turnovers. We had an opportunity to come in and play well and I thought we had our spurts.”

Gibor continued, “No. 20 (Arigbon) had a really good game.

Scored 26, hasn’t scored that much this year. Got to give him credit, he played well and I mean we had some chances. We just didn’t make some plays down the stretch.”

Close losses are beginning to seem all too familiar for the Saints, as they lost in overtime last week at home against Chemeketa Community College.

Statistically, the Saints shot the ball better than the Panthers from the field. Mt. Hood finished with a field goal percentage of 55 percent, while Portland only shot 43 percent.

The Panthers did make 13 more free throws than the Saints (25-12) and had a greater scoring efficiency, scoring 1.4 points per possession compared to Mt. Hood’s 1.25 points per possession.

Marandyuk led all Saints with his 27 points, and had four rebounds and three assists. Kennedy finished with 8 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Freshman Jamal Muhammad added 12 points.

This Saturday, the Saints, now 4-11 overall (1-3 in league play), will look to get back on track against the Linn-Benton Roadrunners. Tipoff is 4 p.m. in the main MHCC gym.

Saints start out fast, lose momentum in second half Alex Seymour

guest contributor Mt. Hood was ahead early in the first half, but the Portland Community College Panthers stormed back to take the lead and then win Wednesday night’s hard-fought women’s basketball game, 70-61.

The Saints started off in perfect rhythm, coming out to grab a solid lead in the game’s first few minutes. They were hitting most of their shots, and playing with confidence.

The Panthers rallied in the last few minutes of the half, however. They finished on an 18-2 run to tie the game at 3131.

The goal for the Saints in the second half was to focus on how well they played the first 12 minutes, and to finish harder than they did at the end of the first half, said head coach Tyler Rose following the game.

But the Saints quickly found themselves behind, and could never get within striking distance of the Panthers.

“We couldn’t offensively get anything going early in the second half, and we got down and tried to chip away,” said Rose. “Then (we) got down, and tried to chip away (again).

10

Turnovers didn’t help us, either.” For the game, Mt. Hood lost the turnover margin, 30-17.

Star Saints center Marley Yates finished the game with a double-double of 17 points and 17 rebounds. She also added team highs of four blocks, four steals, and four assists. Freshman Delanee Martin added 14 points, eight rebounds, and three steals. Coming off the bench, Madison Weaver provided 10 points and six rebounds.

Asked about moving forward from this game, Rose said “we can just build on the positives, and the stretches where we were showing the type of team that we are capable of being.”

He said another focus going into the next few games is “not letting the mistakes get to us to the point where it takes us out of games,” which is the problem the team has found themselves in the past few weeks.

Last Saturday, the Saints found themselves down 39-11 at half. The second half was different story as Mt. Hood was only outscored by one point, losing 69-40.

The Saints have a bye this weekend, then play a tough game against the 13-5 (2-2 in conference) Clackamas Community College Cougars. The game is at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Clackamas.

Photo by Beka Haugen - the advocate

Lacey Weddle drives to a basket in 70-61 loss to Portland CC on Wednesday.

WHAT’S UP NEXT: MT. HOOD AT CLACKAMAS Wednesday Women’s | 5:30 p.m.

Men’s | 7:30

the advocate

SPORTS

January 23, 2015

Patriots and Seahawks square off in Super Bowl XLIX Defending Super Bowl Champs face toughest challenge yet Brandon Raleigh the advocate

After a pair of stunning NFL conference championship games last weekend, we have an exciting Super Bowl XLIX match-up to look forward to: The high-powered offense of the New England Patriots vs. the defensive-minded Seattle Seahawks.

For this football fan, last Sunday was a busy and memorable one. Through all the paint matches and customers we had at Sherwin-Williams (paint store), there was a great NFC championship game brewing: last year’s Super Bowl champion Seahawks vs. the Green Bay Packers.

From kickoff, the Packers completely dominated the Seahawks, intercepting quarterback Russell Wilson four times. It seemed as if the game were nothing less than sealed for Green Bay. As a longtime Falcons fan, I didn’t favor either team and, interestingly enough, another Falcons fan came into work. As we shared our deep sorrows about the terrible end of the season that was Falcons football, we both pegged Green Bay to win, given their healthy 19-7 lead and the minimal time remaining.

That was, until Seattle got the ball back with 3:52 left in the fourth quarter.

After a couple of pass completions by Wilson, Marshawn “Beast mode” Lynch scored a 35-yard catch-and-run for the score. Green Bay successfully challenged the play (arguing Lynch stepped out of bounds), and the officials spotted the ball at Green Bay’s 9-yard line.

Following a pair of four-yard runs by Lynch and Wilson, Wilson punched in a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 19-14, Packers.

What happened next surprised most everyone: The Seahawks went for an onside kick with just over two minutes to play, and recovered!

After a 15-yard Wilson scramble and a Lynch short run, the two-minute warning hit. The Seahawks then completed an eight-yard pass to the Green Bay 24.

With 1:33 left on the clock, “Beast mode” did what “Beast mode” does, rushing for a dramatic score and giving the ’Hawks their first lead of the game, at 20-19.

A wild, desperation Wilson connection with tight end Luke Wilson on a two-point conversion attempt then gave Seattle a three-point lead, 22-19.

With 1:25 remaining and the ball, Green Bay quarterback and NFL MVP favorite Aaron Rodgers led the Pack 48 yards down the field with 19 seconds left to set up a Mason Crosby 48-yard field goal attempt.

After Crosby’s made field goal tied the game at 22, Wilson took a knee to take the game into overtime.

Seattle won the OT coin toss and slowly but

Super Bowl XLIX

Why Pats Will Win

• Tom Brady feeding Gronk the rock • Big day out of Legarrette Blount • Defense slowing Beast Mode

Sunday, February 1, 3:30 p.m. on NBC Univ. of Phoenix Stadium steadily moved down the field. After a 35-yard completion to Doug Baldwin, Wilson delivered the walk-off homer, in the form of a 35-yard bomb to Jermaine Kearse.

Game, set, match – Seahawks, 28-22 – and a ticket punched to the Super Bowl. I was shocked. I had just witnessed one of the greatest comebacks in NFL playoff history.

As work began to slow down, we changed the channel over to the start of the AFC championship game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts: Essentially, one of the greatest postseason quarterbacks of all-time in New England’s Tom Brady, vs. the up-and-coming star Colts quarterback, Andrew Luck.

The game was all Patriots, as they completely ran away from the Colts with an impressive 45-7 win. Despite a hiccup in the second quarter, the Patriots defense shut down Luck and the Colts, allowing only 126 total passing yards for Luck and picking him off twice.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Patriots looked like a well-oiled machine, scoring three touchdowns through the air and rushing for three scores behind an impressive game from former Oregon Duck running back LeGarrette Blount. Blount finished with 148 rushing yards on 30 carries.

The win was Brady’s 20th playoff win, setting him on top of all playoff quarterbacks. But, will Brady get that 21st victory and a fourth Lombardi Trophy from the Feb. 1 showdown in Glendale, Arizona?

My short answer is “yes.” I believe the Patriots are a better football team.

This time last year I had the same thoughts when it came to the high-powered offense of the Denver Broncos against the stingy defense of the 2013 Seahawks, which didn’t turn out as I planned as the Seahawks destroyed the Broncos, 43-8.

There’s a famous saying in sports: Defense wins championships.

Yet, I believe the Patriots have what it takes to defy this saying, thanks to their high-caliber offense. The difference between this year’s Patriots and last year’s Broncos is that the Patriots have a stronger defense.

The Seahawks defense just isn’t as dominant as it was a year ago, which showed last Sunday against the Packers.

If the Patriots are able to get a quick start against the Seahawks, I don’t see them looking back.

My prediction: 31-17 Patriots, and a fourth super Bowl ring for Brady.

Rob Gronkowski

How Hawks Could Win

•Stingy defense stepping up • Big game out of Russell Wilson •Seahawks D-line holding Blount

Russell Wilson

Web photos

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, left, will pursue a fourth Super Bowl title against a tough Seattle secondary led by star cornerback Richard Sherman, right.

11

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