The Advocate, Issue 16 - Feb. 17, 2017

the

advocate

Volume 51 Issue 16

February 17, 2017

Independent Student Voice of MHCC

Funeral services prepare students for a range of situations PAGE 3

First look at Winter Term production, ‘Man of La Mancha’ PAGE 6

Saints’ Anderson leading by his play PAGE 8

Weed on wheels could spell trouble

PAGE 2

Art: Human connection to the natural world

2016 FIRST PLACE

PAGE 5

General excellence Oregon Newspaper Publisher Association

OPINION

February 17, 2017

Editorial

Pot drivers might lose more than green

W

ith a new twist to Oregon’s recently adopted marijuana law, the state’s OLCC (Oregon Liquor Control Commission) has granted permits to many of Oregon’s dispensaries to deliver marijuana directly to people’s homes.

The rules about delivery are pretty basic. Marijuana can only be delivered to a residence, not a park or a dorm or a street corner, and only within the city that dispensary is licensed in. The pot has to be transported in a locked box; the delivery driver can only transport so much at a time; and the recipient has to sign for it with a valid ID when accepting it.

This is a major change for a state that doesn’t seem to have everything quite figured out about where it wants its marijuana industry to stand, in the long term.

Oregon has seemed to make major changes to its marijuana law with every year, adding new means of distribution. However, the state appears to limit all of these means of distribution by requiring each business to obtain one of a limited amount of permits.

The delivery of marijuana, though, may also remind Oregonians of drug dealers who make “house calls” to sell their pot, which

led to quite a bit of crime in that era’s heyday. And some people can become uneasy when the state of Oregon can be so easily compared with drug dealers.

“Order a pizza, order a bag of weed, and settle in for a great night.”

To the people who frequent dispensaries or purchase marijuana on a regular basis, the home delivery can seem like a dream come true.

Order a pizza, order a bag of weed, and settle in for a great night.

If you don’t smoke pot, however, you may have some concerns with this new purchasing option.

For one, should we allow direct delivery of something like this straight to people’s homes? For example, would we permit delivering liquor to someone’s home, as we would takeout food? What about the potential crimes the new deliveries could lead to? Let’s say a driver leaves the dispensary with $2,500 in pot (the new limit is $3,000 of product)

Notes of Appreciation Sometimes we at the Advocate receive notes from readers that aren’t full letters, but still worth sharing.

and a nefarious person has figured out it’s a delivery driver they can rob.

There are countless news stories across the country every year, spanning decades, that describe pizza drivers getting robbed and or shot, and that’s for cash and pizza.

But when was the last time you saw a pizza driver carrying up to $3,000 worth of cash or product? When you add drugs into the mix, you could add a whole heap of trouble on top of a situation that’s already a bit shady, to begin with.

We’re serious – as are the facts.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2011, there were a reported 759 deaths among driver/sales workers and truck drivers.

In contrast, there were 125 deaths among police officers in the same year, according to FBI data. That’s almost a 600 percent difference.

That’s not to mention the assaults, rapes and other crimes frequently committed against delivery drivers, of all types.

There are some good things that this home delivery option could accomplish for Oregonians.

This could be a tremendous boon for older people who are unable to drive to get their medical marijuana, or those suffering through cancer and/or chronic pain.

It also could be a great way to prevent people driving who have al-

ready imbibed to go seek more marijuana, keeping our streets a bit safer.

Oregon, though, isn’t the first place that has passed a law allowing the home delivery of marijuana. If we look to California there are some lessons we might be able to learn. At the end of last year, the CEO of Sespe Creek Collective, a medical marijuana delivery company, was arrested (and currently awaits trial) for selling marijuana in an illegal fashion, as well as perjury.

According to the CEO, one of the main danger points is that marijuana dispensaries have a major limitation as compared to other businesses: Because marijuana is still federally illegal, the majority of banks won’t work with them – leaving them to be cash-only operations.

A cash-only business has a much easier time skirting the law, and also leaves its drivers in a much worse situation than if they were able to do their transactions all by card or check.

Let’s be honest, drugs breed crime – they always have, and there are countless statistics to verify that, and just because the state has legalized the drug doesn’t change the fact that marijuana is still, in essence, a drug. It also doesn’t change the money and profitability of selling marijuana or make it any less of a criminal target.

This could potentially be a disturbing situation, and Oregon needs to ask itself: Is the price of convenience potentially worth the life of another person?

We may need to have more discussion about this as a community

“When was the last time you saw a pizza driver carrying up to $3,000 worth of cash or product?” before we allow this to go into full swing. This might not be the direction that Oregon wants to head, at least not without giving it some serious consideration.

While there are a lot of potential benefits from Oregon allowing marijuana delivery, it might come at a cost that’s too high. As citizens, we need to keep a watchful eye on this business, and make sure that we're not driving down a dark road leading to more problems.

“Advocate Staff, Thank you so much for your outstanding coverage of public safety events.

After your ‘stalking’ article, 3 individuals came forward to file reports. What you do matters, thank you again for making a difference in the lives of others.” -Joy Cherilyn, Public Safety

the advocate Editor-in-Chief, News Editor Gloria Saepharn

Sports Editor Jamie George

Video team Cory Wiese

Graphic Design Team Prisma Flores Seneca Maxwell

Ad Managers Joseph Frantz Carlena Ascensio

Associate Editor, Arts & Entertainment Editor Matana McIntire

Photo Editor Open Position

Advisers Howard Buck Dan Ernst

Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor Megan Phelps

Photo team Porcha Hesselgesser Alex Crull Fadi Shahin

Assistant News Editor Kyle Venooker

Opinion Editor Donovan Sargent PA G E 2

Assistant Photo Editor Davyn Owen

Staff Writers Greg Leonov Brody Mathews Maddy Sanstrum Glenn Dyer Logan Hertner Meagan Willhite

Erick Walters Ryan Moore Cover graphics by Prisma Flores

Contact us!

E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu Phone: 503-491-7250 Website: advocate-online.net Twitter: @MHCCAdvocate Facebook: facebook.com/TheAdvocateOnline Instagram: @MHCCAdvocate #MHCCAdvocate Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030

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.

advocate-online.net

Student Submissions: Hard work pays off

NEWS

This I Believe

Jacob Gray

MHCC engineering student “If it was easy, everyone would do it,” my dad reminds me when I complain about school, work, and balancing it all in one jumbled life.

My parents are the hardest workers I’ve ever seen. It’s because of my parents that I don’t expect any favors, handouts, or get-out-of-jailfree cards. I see how they appreciate the smallest things in life, because they’ve had nothing given to them.

Nothing. And like them, I have learned the satisfaction that comes with earning something instead of taking it.

When I was 15, I got my first summer job picking and selling berries at a farmers’ market on the weekends. My job seemed like

From 1951 to 1955, renowned journalist Edward R. Murrow hosted “This I Believe,” a daily radio show where individuals read brief essays about their personal philosophies, values, and core beliefs that shaped their daily actions.

In 2005, National Public Radio resurrected the essay series and again invited Americans of all ages and perspectives to write brief essays about their core beliefs. This year, the Advocate also invites anyone in the MHCC community to contribute the same. it consumed most of my life that summer, but I was happy to start finally making money so I could begin saving to buy my first vehicle.

After three months of berrystained hands and a wicked farmer’s tan, I had saved what seemed like all the money in the world to put towards a reliable ride. In reality, I hardly had enough money to afford the project vehicle I had fantasized about ever since I first learned how

to turn a wrench. But after months of Craigslist searching, I was the proud owner of a 1971 Ford short bed pickup: an American classic, equipped with a 5.9 liter V8 engine that struggled to get above 9 miles per gallon. Any hard acceleration would reward you with a pop and backfire out the carburetor, and none of the lights worked. I barely made it home before it broke down.

Regardless, I was the happiest

kid in the world because I had worked so hard to earn every bolt, every ounce of rust, and every classic car lover’s admiring glance from that point on.

If you take something, it’s either something that shouldn’t have been taken, or it’s something that you should expect to give back. But when you earn something, you have complete moral ownership of that item along with an appreciation for

what it took to get it. Not only do you get respect from others, you get self-respect as well.

That feeling motivates me to try to be the best version of myself.

This could mean getting a job even though it involves long hours of uninterrupted hard work. It could mean covering a co-worker’s shift even when I didn’t want to. It could mean showing up to work even if I didn’t feel like it. Or it could mean persevering through a difficult class, because I know it’s something I need to do.

At the end of a long day, I’m glad to have the callouses on my hands and the dirt in my boots, because I know at 18 years old I’ve already learned a valuable lesson that many haven’t: If it was easy, everyone would do it.

‘Mock’ exercise prepares funeral service students Greg Leonov the advocate

To prepare students for the inevitable, Mt. Hood offers a program for students that facilitates families’ and individuals’ emotional task when a loved one passes.

And each school year, the Funeral Service Education program holds annual mock funeral arrangements on campus, with the most recent happening on Tuesday.

The mock exercises are held to help prepare students to get “real life experience on interacting with families who are coming in to make arrangements for their loved ones,” said Grant Bollman, second-year student in the program.

The FSE curriculum is a limited-

entry program, and requires an application in order to be accepted.

It’s a two-year program, but qualified student can skip the first year of prerequisite courses, said Bollman.

Students join the MHCC program for various reasons.

“Some are interested in, kind of just, death, or different avenues to get different jobs like the M.E. (Medical Examiner’s) office,” said Bollman. “Some people like more of the interaction with the families on the funeral director’s side, some are more interested in the embalming – the preservation of the bodies.”

All aspects of funeral planning, as well as embalming and preserving bodies, are covered at Mt. Hood.

The students work with corpses

of unclaimed individuals when it comes to embalming. Those deceased provided are “people that no families come forward (to claim) and the state’s paying for the services – we’ll get the embalming to do, so we get hands-on experience,” said Bollman.

His own family has been in the funeral business for three generations, he said. “I’ll be the fourth, and so it’s something I’ve always grown up with and the older I got, I started helping out more and more and really enjoyed the interaction between the families.”

Living in a small town, the work for Bollman can be quite personal.

“A lot of the families we serve are friends, so it’s just kind of always been a part of my life,” he said. “It’s just always really fulfilling being able to help those people that have helped you through your childhood and growing up, and kind of helped shape you into the person you are.”

Clayton Hoffman, second year student got involved after working for the Portland Cremation Center.

A co-worker helped him get into the FSE program. After a challenging first term, he got used to the course load and has gained some insight, he said.

“I really started looking at things a little bit more closely; I used to be

taking things kind if at face value,” Hoffman said. Keeping track of a large volume of information without having to repeatedly review it is another skill he has gained.

“I think it’s a great industry,” Hoffman said. “Not all of us are out for blood, I guess. It is competitive, but we’re all family. Even if you don’t know somebody from a funeral home, we’re all very open and willing to accept each other.”

Visit advocate-online. net to watch our video on the Funeral Service Education event on campus!

Photo by Cory Wiese

Still from the Advocate’s video on the Funeral Services event on campus.

PA G E 3

NEWS

February 17, 2017

Keeping costs down for dedicated students Kyle Venooker the advocate

As readers of last week’s issue of the Advocate may know, things aren’t looking so great fiscally for MHCC and Oregon’s state colleges in 2017.

With the Oregon Promise possibly on the chopping block and Mt. Hood tossing around the idea of significant tuition increases again this spring, MHCC students are tightening their already overstretched belts and counting the few pennies they have closely.

Which is why John Hamblin’s most recent email, sent to current students, was a breath of fresh air.

Its subject? Mt. Hood’s 2015 tuition pledge.

Hamblin, the executive dean of student development, reminded students about the MHCC Board of Education vote to enact a “tuition pledge program” in September 2015.

The “pledge” program maintains the 2015-16 tuition rate of $94 per credit hour, for up to four years, for those students who initially enrolled at Mt. Hood in 201516, have stayed enrolled and have

Upcoming Events 2/17:

Human Trafficking Lunch and Learn, noon-1 p.m. Town and Gown Room

2/28:

Mardi Gras Celebration with DJ and King Cakes, 6-9 p.m. Jazz Cafe

3/1:

Mouths of Others Presents Megan Kruse, noon-1 p.m. Visual Arts Theater

3/7:

Chinese New Year Storytelling, noon1 p.m. Studio Theater

3/9:

How to Yoga, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Student Union

maintained certain criteria.

Tuition rates have since been raised, but “...a student’s tuition will be frozen for a period up to four years if the above eligibility requirements are maintained,” according to the MHCC website.

The reminder is excellent news for any students who find the costs of college difficult to manage as it is, without factoring in a tuition increase.

The eligibility rules include “meeting standards of academic progress” or maintaining a 2.0 GPA; enrolling for at least one course

each term, at least three out of four terms in each consecutive academic year; and having an approved Education Plan.

Students unfamiliar with an Education Plan should visit the Student Services office at MHCC. They should meet with an academic adviser and planning over the next few school terms what their course load is going to look like.

While the Education Plan helps students qualify for the Tuition Pledge savings, it’s definitely recommended regardless of their objectives: Education Plans help them get

a handle on stress, ensure they can plan accordingly, and keep them updated on graduation requirements so they don’t find themselves suddenly three credits shy of a degree.

Students who started attending Mt. Hood after the pledge’s enactment can still qualify for the pledge, Hamblin’s email explained.

The freeze begins the first term a student registers, and their tuition will be locked in at the current rate, with their four-year completion period beginning at that time. But it’s essential they pin down their own Education Plan.

Positions available with ASG Kyle Venooker the advocate

Several job positions have opened up with Mt. Hood’s Associated Student Government, including administrative assistant working with the Student Activities Board and the Elections Committee, and marketing director.

There also are several positions opening on the Student Senate.

The Student Activities Board, or SAB, is responsible for many campus events, such as this week’s Noche de Pasion. Duties for an administrative assistant include clerical work, such as filing and maintaining records. The position

would be compensated with a sixcredit (per term) tuition waiver.

Student senators have the opportunity to get an inside look at the democratic process here on campus, while earning a sixcredit waiver. According to the Mt Hood website, “Senators represent the official voice of the students at MHCC...Each senator may represent an academic or student services area on campus. The senate provides final approval for all legislation, and the student fee budget.”

The Director of Marketing position provides a larger tuition waiver, 12 credits per term.

The work requires more of a

time commitment, and students interested in applying are encouraged by ASG President Kelly Bernardino to have a background in graphic design. Duties include weekly updates on all ASG social media platforms and creation of promotional material for ASGsponsored events, and updating photographs on the MHCC website and in the Student Union.

The tuition waivers are an excellent way to offset education costs.

Those interested should reach out to ASG, located in the MHCC Student Union, or reach out to Bernardino at asgp@mhcc.edu.

You’re welcome here! 환영 желанный

Located at the MHCC campus Above the Library, Room 3318 College of Business: (503) 491-7000 College of Education: (503) 491-7445 PA G E 4

‫كب الهأ‬ ¡Bienvenido!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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View Nievert’s own “whimsical, imagined world” Matana McIntire the advocate

In October 2016, the Advocate did a feature on Mt. Hood’s newest full-time painting instructor, Matteo Neivert. This month, his artwork is being featured in the Visual Arts Gallery on campus.

The Advocate caught up with Neivert to get an update on the showing.

How many new pieces of art did you create for this show?

“That’s like asking my mother how old she is. In painting, even if a piece is several years old, I often paint on it and change it as it evolves over time. About three-quarters of the work is new. Only four or so large pieces are from a few years ago, but I also painted a bit on them, as well. Many pieces go through several changes and evolve over time but are considered new since I have just finished them – even though I started working on them a few years previously.

When you look at a Monet in a museum, often it says “Circa 188084,” meaning it took four years to complete the painting or it went

Photos by Porcha Hesselgesser

ABOVE: Individual pieces on cuts of wood depicting parts of the human face.

RIGHT: Art top to bottom in image: Oyster Dance, Shell Date, and Iceburg Blow Out.

through many changes until being shown for exhibit within that time span. Art is like a cake that never goes bad. Let’s say you make a chocolate cake and want to put roses on it and make it vanilla. You pull it out the painting of the cake and paint over it or alter it. You can also change it entirely.”

So, which ones are the truly new pieces?

“Many, too many to list... There are over 70 new paintings of eyeballs and faces alone in an installation piece; 12 more faces on porcelain plates. Many landscapes featuring icebergs in reflective pools of the

ocean. Many new surreal paintings of barnacles dancing on water.”

Did all of your work in the gallery have a connecting theme?

“My overall theme is the human connection and disconnect with nature. Many pieces illustrate our deep connection with the natural world, and other paintings are fantasies within that concept.

Sometimes a painting functions as a lamentation for the parts of ourselves that we lose when we disconnect with nature. I also like to explore objects such as icebergs which are temporary since they

melt. Their beauty, like a rose, is not always long-lived.

Many topics are questions I seek answers for such as: What would the planet look like if we became extinct? How did life occur on earth?

Does an inanimate object have a life force or energy, since it can be seen, observed, touched?...

Many things are fodder for my own whimsical, imagined world.

Even when I paint serious subject matter, I feel it is important to have some whimsy, comedy, and lightheartedness.”

The time allotted to you since I first interviewed you and now is rather short. Was it difficult to produce the new work in that time?

“It was definitely a challenge to create so much work in a short span of time. I worked hard painting after work, late at night, and on the weekends. I had my own homework up to my ears!”

When did you finish the last piece before the showing?

“I finished the last painting, “Sandy Barnacle,” the day I delivered the paintings on Sunday,

Feb. 5! I finished “Let Your Fingers Do The Walking” on Feb. 4.”

Oscars predictions Glenn Dyer

the advocate As an all-seeing mystic, I have peered into the future to see what/ who will likely win this year’s Academy Awards, on Feb. 26 on ABC at 4pm. Sure, I could use this ability to help prevent future disasters, but that wouldn’t be nearly as fun.

Films that are most likely to win each category are highlighted in red; films that might be a darkhorse, upset winner are in orange.

Please bear in mind, these predictions are not necessarily an indicator of quality, just a calculation based on trends the Academy has been known for.

Happy betting!

BEST PICTURE • • • • • •

Arrival Fences Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Hidden Figures La La Land

• • •

Lion Manchester by the Sea Moonlight

• •

•

Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge Ryan Gosling - La La Land Viggo Mortensen - Captain Fantastic Denzel Washington - Fences

• • • •

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE • • • •

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE • • • • •

Isabelle Huppert - Elle Ruth Negga - Loving Natalie Portman - Jackie Emma Stone - La La Land Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE • • •

Mahershala Ali - Moonlight Jeff Bridges - Hell or High Water Lucas Hedges - Manchester by the Sea

Dev Patel - Lion Michael Shannon - Nocturnal Animals

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

•

Viola Davis - Fences Naomie Harris - Moonlight Nicole Kidman - Lion Octavia Spencer - Hidden Figures Michelle Williams Manchester by the Sea

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM • • • • •

Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini The Red Turtle Zootopia

• • • • •

Arrival La La Land Lion Moonlight Silence

CINEMATOGRAPHY

COSTUME DESIGN • •

Allied Fantastic Beasts and Where to

• • •

Find Them Florence Foster Jenkins Jackie La La Land

• • • • •

Arrival Hacksaw Ridge La La Land Manchester by the Sea Moonlight

DIRECTING

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE) • • • • •

Fire at Sea I Am Not Your Negro Life, Animated O.J.: Made in America 13th

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT) • • • • •

Extremis 4.1 Miles Joe’s Violin Watani: My Homeland The White Helmets

• •

La La Land Moonlight

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM • • • • •

Land of Mine - Denmark A Man Called Ove - Sweden The Salesman - Iran Tanna - Australia Toni Erdmann - Germany

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING • • •

A Man Called Ove Star Trek Beyond Suicide Squad

To read the Advocate’s full Academy Award 2017 predictions, visit advocate-online. net

FILM EDITING • • •

Arrival Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water

Graphic by Seneca Maxwell

PA G E 5

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

February 17, 2017

‘Man of La Meet the students who provide free laughs Mancha’ student production Maddy Sanstrum the advocate

MHCC’s winter theatre production, “Man of La Mancha,” will hold its opening night on Saturday, Feb. 24.

The plot: Awaiting his trial by the Inquisition, Miguel de Cervantes is threatened to have his manuscript taken away by people within the prison. To prove the merit of his work, he sets up a re-enactment of the piece, using some of the prisoners. Together, they tell the story of the aged Alonso Quijana who believes himself to be a knight errant, names himself Don Quixote, and sets out with his chatty squire, Sancho Panza, to seek adventures.

The mad Don Quixote may think a windmill is a giant and a tavern is a castle, but along the way he also transforms a wretched woman into a beautiful lady – and proves that an old man’s belief can truly make him a knight – bringing a glimmer of hope in a time full of darkness.

One reason why the play was chosen for MHCC was that it required the actors to develop “layers in their characterizations,” said Mace Archer, the director of the show and MHCC instructor for Artistic Theater. “Each of them plays two characters – the prisoner of the crusade, and the character in Cervantes story,” he said.

This also presents a challenge for the production’s scenic and lighting crew since it’s now focusing on one big environment rather than changing sets.

“I do hope everyone will make time to come see the show,” Archer said. “It is a classic story told in a beautiful way. The music is amazing,” he added, with a full orchestra composed of mostly MHCC students conducted by music instructor Grant Linsell.

“Man of La Mancha” performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 2425 and March 3-4, and at 2 p.m. Feb. 26 and March 5, all in the College Theatre.

Advance tickets cost $10 for MHCC students, staff and all seniors, and $12 for other adults. At the door, tickets cost $12 for students/staff/ seniors, $15 for adults.

For more information, visit: mhcc.edu/theatreboxoffice or call 503-491-7154.

PA G E 6

MHCC’s Improv Troupe Photo by Fadi Shahin

Ben Trombi and Laurel Strobel during rehersal acting out a short game called half time, which challenges their ability to simplify and condense a scene progressively getting shorter as time goes on.

said, “There’s always gimmicks of games and parlor tricks you can do;

Megan Phelps the advocate

If you’re into on-the-spot comedy, then you might be interested in getting to know about the Improv Troupe here at Mt. Hood Community College, ready to perform again on campus tonight.

I sat down with three of the members before one of their rehearsals this week to get to know what really goes on to prepare for an improv show.

One might ask, “How do you rehearse for an improvised show?”

There is actually a lot that members need to prepare for.

A core member of the group since it started in fall 2014, Josh Carter

“I have a new appreciation for improv now that I’ve seen the process – what it takes to do well and how there is calculated thought in how to appeal to people.” improv is oftentimes just a series of parlor tricks that you’re working

on. So, we try to work on those and are working well with each other,” he said. “Usually we do a warm-up, maybe some short-form games and then long-form games.”

The latter means “doing improvised drama on stage where you could go for an hour, theoretically,” explained Benjamin Rulla. “We usually cap off at about 10-15 minutes, but we do long form as a series of regular scenes, no gimmicks no nothing, just us playing characters and trying to be true to the scene and who our characters are in that scene.”

Explaining his reasoning for joining the troupe, Carter said, “I really like the cooperative aspects of it. You can do a lot of stuff with

improv as far as making fun of just life in general. And it makes life a little bit easier to deal with, I think, when you’re able just to mock it the entire way through. So, that’s really fun.

“I like being able to build stuff together with other people without, like, having to cohesively plan,” Carter added. “When you have a really great scene or several great games in a row, and you’re like ‘Oh, okay, great, we’re in a super-good group,’ that’s a really exhilarating feeling. That’s kind of why I do it.”

Laurel Strobel enjoys improv for a different reason, she said.

“I’m an actress and I like preforming and having exposure to do work and it’s a good excuse to have something to do. Even if I’m not in a show, I have something that I’m doing, and I’m getting to practice my craft,” Strobel said.

Throughout the rehearsal I went to, the troupe’s games and scenes were enjoyable. I was put on the spot several times for suggestions for scenes or game context. It’s hard to come up with something in the spur of the moment. These guys have to be quick-minded onstage.

To view the full unabridged story, visit: advocate-online.net

‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ brings ‘Neo Noir’ Sequel opens to good reception, hints at series Ryan Moore the advocate

Graphic by Seneca Maxwell

4.5 out of 5 stars.

“Neo Noir”, which translates to “new black”, is a term used in the film industry to describe movies that share a lot of similar themes and visual elements – namely, anti-hero protagonists presented with difficult situations and uses of dark, shadowy lighting. These play on the classic “film noir” movies of the mid-20th century.

“John Wick: Chapter 2” resides in this genre and gives the audience

an impressive display of our new, favorite ex-hitman.

The first “John Wick” film that debuted in 2014 was very well received and the exciting action sequences helped it stand out from many of the other action movies on the market. Chapter 2 not only offers more of the impressively choreographed action from the first movie, it also continues the charismatic style of its predecessor. The business-asusual tone translates well, as Mr. Wick carries out his assigned duties equipped with the finest gear and the bulletproof suit to go with it.

Especially during scenes where John is gathering the things he needs to go about his mission, there are plenty

of opportune hitman-related puns made that add a witty and amusing sense of humor throughout.

Nevertheless, Wick is still the man with the noisy black Mustang trying, but ultimately failing, to stay in retirement. From beginning to end, villains speak of him fearfully, since it is to be assumed that which he is capable of. Fans of the first movie might recognize a couple similar monologues spoken both by his allies and enemies, reciting a tale of warning about his lethal use of even just a pencil. They also deem his recurring nickname as the bogeyman himself.

Another factor in the success of both John Wick movies is simply their star power. The casting of

this sequel, in particular, was very exciting for director Chad Stahelski, since it was the first time Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne have been on screen together since “The Matrix” in 1999.

Having Reeves play the main character has certainly benefited the popularity of these titles, and even more notably the box office numbers. Chapter 2 earned a whopping $30 million in its opening weekend.

Rumors are already swirling of another entry into the world of John Wick, and given the format of the title and clear growing success of the franchise, it’s safe to assume these rumors may be pointed in the right direction.

SPORTS

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Mt. Hood men keep their playoff hopes alive

Saints avenge loss to Clackamas with critical victory Jamie George the advocate

The Saints topped the arch-rival Clackamas Community College Cougars Wednesday night, 96-81, pulling Mt. Hood back to within one game of the fourth and final playoff spot in the NWAC South Division.

Wednesday’s contest was a perfect example of how good the Saints men can be when they play at their best.

In the previous matchup, Clackamas beat Mt. Hood, 68-62, at Clackamas. That game was even in almost every category, but one: second-chance points. Clackamas outscored the Saints, 21-11, in that category.

It’s something Mt. Hood entered the game on Wednesday with the intent to stop. Saints sophomore forward Luke Anderson said, “They got two big guys, they have more size than us. We knew they were going to pound it inside on us… So we knew we were going to need to be big and strong and have to rebound.”

Though the Cougars did outrebound the Saints by 16 boards, total, Mt. Hood found a way to pre-

vent them from turning those into second-chance points. In the end, both teams finished with 15 second-chance points.

What’s more, Mt. Hood found a huge advantage in getting down court quick to score. Its what they’ve been working on all season, and Wednesday night, the players and fans saw it in full effect.

“I felt we played really good today as a team, sharing the ball and getting out in transition, which is something we haven’t been doing as of lately,” Anderson said. “So, that felt good.

(We) got some easy buckets.”

Sophomore forward Cody Thompson played a big role in leading the team to a win. He scored 22 points, pulled down six rebounds, and had two steals.

Maybe most impressive, he did so on 10-of-16 shooting. Sophomore guard Elijah Fuller added 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

It seemed like the whole team shot well, as they finished with a 54 percent field-goal percentage, compared to Clackamas’s 38 percent.

The Saints chose a good day to shoot as well as they did, as the win

kept their playoff hopes alive. It won’t be easy for them to take the fourth spot in their division, but its possible. The South currently shows a tight race for the final two playoff spots with four games remaining on the season.

Basically, Mt. Hood, 5-7 in the South, needs to win out the season and have a few dominoes fall into place, in order to make the playoffs.

After their loss, Clackamas is in third place with a 6-5 record. Tied for fourth are Clark and Linn-Benton, both at a record of 6-6. In sixth place is Portland, with a 5-6 record. And then, tied for seventh with Mt. Hood, is Southwestern Oregon, also at 5-7.

It’s not all bad news for the Saints. Their remaining schedule includes three of the five teams they’re battling for that playoff spot. If they win all three of those matchups and they top last-place Lane, they just might squeak in.

Certainly, Mt. Hood hasn’t given up hope yet. Anderson said, “We’re all staying positive, we just gotta take it one game at a time. That’s all we can do, we can’t worry about our last game or winning all five at once.

“We just have to win one at a time, and I think we can do it.”

Mean while on the Womens side, they lost their 11th straight

game Wednesday, falling to Clackamas 60-34. They are now 1-11 in NWAC play with four games left on their season.

Photo by Davyn Owen

Point guard John Tibbs is seventh in the NWAC in assists with 4.7 per game.

All-Star game: popularity favored over talent?

Logan Hertner the advocate

The NBA All-Star game is coming this weekend, and the lineups have been set for the dunk, skills, and three-point contests and the All- Star Game itself. True, there is no changing the picks now or the decisions that were made, but there is still a lot of heat being thrown out for the players who made the allstar teams.

The two biggest issues that fans have had begin with the fact that Portland’s Damian Lillard, for the second year in a row, has been snubbed from the Western Conference squad, despite having ultimately two absolutely amazing seasons stats-wise. This season he is averaging around 26 points, six assists, and five rebounds per game.

He is also shooting a solid 43 percent from the field, which is the best of his career.

But Lillard failed to make the team, while players like the Warriors’ Klay Thompson, who is only averaging around 22 points,

Web photo

Damian Lillard is averaging a career high 25.7 points per game this season, only to be outdone by Russell Westbrook, who’s averaging a triple-double.

two assists, and four rebounds per game, were selected. Utah’s Gordon Hayward also made the team with averaging only 22 points, just over three assists, and a little under six rebounds per game. Undeniably Lillard has the better stats, yet he doesn’t make the team. Why is that?

A lot of people say that it’s be-

cause Portland doesn’t having a winning record, but that wouldn’t make sense because Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins made the team and they both play for losing teams. The Pelicans are 11th in the West with a record of 23-34, which is worse than Portland’s, and the Kings are only a half-game above

the Blazers with a 24-33 record.

So, it’s not like those teams are any good but Davis and Cousins made the team because the stats are there.

People in Portland and throughout the NBA are very displeased about Lillard’s situation, but what about Russell Westbrook?

Although he did make the team at least, Westbrook is not a starter in the All-Star Game. I’m sorry, but how is a player who is averaging a triple-double every time he steps on the floor not a starter in the AllStar Game? Westbrook is averaging nearly 31 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds per game as a point guard.

That is almost absolutely unheard of, as only one other player has done it NBA history, Oscar Robertson in 1961. Robertson averaged 30 points, 11 assists, and 12 rebounds on the season.

How can a player like Westbrook do what he does every single night on the court and still not deserve a spot on the starting lineup?

Especially when he is the leader in the MVP race this season?

The conclusion that I have come

to is that the NBA is rigged and is all just a popularity contest. Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson all made the all-star team from Golden State, which is four of the West’s starting five. As Durant’s stats are impressive and he actually deserves a starting spot, Green, Thompson and Curry do not all deserve a spot on the team this year.

I already mentioned Thompson’s stats, but Curry is an ASG starter, too, while he averages 25 points, just over six assists, and four rebounds per game. Lillard didn’t even make the team and averages better than that, and Westbrook is making history and isn’t starting.

It makes me begin to think that it’s all about those bandwagon fans.

All those Warrior fans who exist now, but didn’t exist five years ago when the Warriors were 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 23-43. What’s funny is, no one even knew who Curry was until he eventually became a two-year wonder.

Can I just say... Stats don’t lie.

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SPORTS

February 17, 2017

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The ‘glue’ that brings the team together

Mt. Hood’s Anderson leading by example on the court Brody Mathews the advocate

“If you want to get ahead in this world; come to work early and stay late.”

Those are the words that Saints sophomore forward Luke Anderson has always lived by. His dad, Lee, preached that to him growing up. Lee did more than just say it, though – he lived it, and Anderson saw that.

Anderson is 6 feet, 3 inches tall, and a workhorse on the basketball court, much like his dad is in the office.

Anderson has always admired his dad’s

Photo by Davyn Owen

Luke Anderson is pulling down eight rebounds per game this season.

drive, he said: “He’s the hardestworking person that I’ve ever met.

I’ve learned a lot from him, especially his work ethic.”

Anderson has taken the words his dad had ingrained into his head and applied them to basketball, by regularly showing up to practice an hour early. Putting in the work has always been something he’s done.

“Nothing was ever handed to me. I’ve always had to work for everything,” he said. “And that’s something I’ve learned from my dad.”

Anderson’s dedication to basketball has made him a leader on the Saints team this year, someone they can look up to. His isn’t the loudest voice on the court, but he leads by example. “I’m not the most vocal, which I know that’s what (the Mt. Hood coaches) want me to be, but it just comes naturally to me to lead by example.

“I’m gonna try to do the right things the right way, and my teammates see that,” he added. “I’m trying to work on leading vocally

and getting on people, but it’s tough for me. That’s something I still need to work on, definitely.”

Saints head coach John Hawley couldn’t agree more about Anderson’s attributes.

“Luke is a quiet-type leader...

(But) his presence, people just look up to Luke,” Hawley said. “He’s that solid force; when Luke’s in the ballgame it just seems to bring those other four players (together).

“I really think he’s just that glue that does it” for the team, he said.

One of the big ways Anderson leads the Saints is by working hard in the paint. He does all the hard, physical work that no one else wants to do, such as boxing out and getting rebounds. He explained what he’s thinking about on the court.

“Everyone loves scoring, but I like finding different ways to contribute.

Not everyone likes to just go out and grab rebounds, but everyone wants to score 20 (points). So, I try to do the little things,” he said.

Anderson is averaging 26

minutes a game, snatching eight rebounds and scoring 13 points a game. Those eight rebounds is no small feat, and it puts him 12th among all the NWAC. While not the tallest of players, he’s able to get an advantage over his opponents.

“I box out, and I think it just comes down to who wants the ball more. And I feel like I just want it more,” he said. “I go after it hard even if they’re bigger than me. They might get some over me, but I just do what I can.”

Anderson said he’s learned a lot from Hawley and gives him high praise for the opportunity to be a Saint. “I’ll always be grateful for him giving me a chance to play here,” he said.

He plans to play college basketball next year for someone else; he’s not sure where, but his heart still loves the game. And it’s been his goal since he was just a kid playing in the driveway with his older brother, he said – to play at a four-year college.

Blazers trade for much-needed post presence Logan Hertner advocate

Feb. 23 is fast approaching and with it, the NBA trade deadline.

The Portland Trail Blazers made their first move of the season Feb. 12 by acquiring center Jusuf Nurkic and a first-round pick from the Denver Nuggets, for center Mason Plumlee, a second-round pick, and some extra cash.

The Blazers upset a lot of fans by trading away Plumlee, but the question is, do those fans want to win or stay on this losing skid? By the numbers, it’s very easy to see that Nurkic is the better player of the two. Plumlee and Nurkic have both been in the league for three years and they are averaging similar numbers, except Nurkic brings a certain physical presence to the floor that Plumlee doesn’t.

Nurkic is averaging eight points and six rebounds per game, in 18 minutes. Plumlee is averaging 11 points and eight rebounds, in about 28 minutes a game.

Nurkic is very physical and PA G E 8

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Jusuf Nurkic scored 13 points, on 5-5 shooting and pulled down seven rebounds in his Blazers debut against the Utah Jazz Wednesday night.

isn’t afraid to be a powerhouse in the post, taking over the paint with strong moves while backing down defenders with ease. Plumlee, on the other hand, is a center who has no touch, no scoring ability, and isn’t a great rebounder, as he tends to shy away from contact. Nurkic will protect the rim with his 7 foot, 2 inch stature and 280 solid pounds.

Portland fans may point out that

Plumlee was a great teammate and worked hard, but, unfortunately, at the end of the day, it’s about performance and winning. He also is said to be a great passing center, and has been known to be a great ball handler, which is another part of why those fans are frustrated and feel like the Blazers are making a bad move. But, stats-wise he just doesn’t bring the rebounding capability that they need.

They can talk about what a great passer he is, but Plumlee still has only averaged two assists per game in his career – though he is averaging four this season.

Now, Nurkic’s numbers may not shout superstar, but he is still very young and could most definitely improve his game play and performance within the next couple years.

Blazers General Manager Neil Olshey spoke out about the recent trade, and his thinking.

“We are pleased to add a young center with Jusuf’s talent and potential to our roster and excited by the prospect of three first-round picks in the 2017 NBA draft,” Olshey said. He also said the Blazers “want to thank Mason for his many contributions to the organization these past two seasons. His presence will be missed and we wish him all the best for the future.”

As of now, The Blazers have three first-round picks in this year’s draft. Having three picks seems promising and one might think it will help improve the team

tremendously, but as all Blazer fans know, drafting players hasn’t always been Portland’s greatest trait. For instance, drafting Sam Bowie in 1984 over Michael Jordan, now widely considered the greatest player of all time. Or drafting Martell Webster in 2004, over Chris Paul. And don’t forget one of the biggest NBA busts of all time in 2007 – drafting Greg Oden over Kevin Durant.

So, the front office in Portland is hoping that making a move to get a young big man down in the post won’t yet again come back to haunt them.

There are also rumors the Blazers may be looking to add another big man by trading away one, or even two, of their first-round picks and possibly a key role player. One name that has been circulated a lot recently is 76ers center Jahlil Okafor, who’s known for his scoring. In theory, Okafor and Nurkic could make a great combo: Nurkic for his defense, and Okafor for his offense.

Meantime, Blazers fans, keep your eyes and ears open until the trade deadline passes.