The Advocate, Issue 21 - March 15, 2019

Volume 53, Issue 21 MARCH 15, 2019 advocate-online.net

Writing to inspire others PAGE 2

Political 'underdogs' defend identity PAGE 2

Space invaders PAGE 4

COMBINING CREATIVITY, ANALYTICS

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Students pushing for better textbook options

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2016 FIRST PLACE

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | OPINION

A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T

NYT BEST-SELLING AUTHOR MURPHY COMES TO MHCC

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Sadie Kline

the advocate The hard work of self-belief and the hard work of writing has established Julie Murphy as a New York Times best-selling author.

She described those parts of her journey to Mt. Hood students and others on Monday, March 11, in the latest Mouths of Others guest-speaker appearance on campus.

Murphy is originally from Connecticut, but now lives in Texas. Growing up, she never thought she would become a writer, she told the Visual Arts Theatre audience. She fell in love with reading and writing after her senior year of high school.

(Ironically, her English class is what nearly held her back from graduating, she added.) She went to a community college in Texas and later transferred to a fouryear university where she got her bachelor’s degree.

The “Twilight” book series was her initial inspiration to write her first book, Murphy said.

She describes writing her first book, “Side Effects May Vary,” as very fun, and not stressful, since the stakes were low for her.

This changed when Murphy was writing “Dumplin,’ ” now her most famous novel, recently turned into a movie on Netflix starring Jennifer Aniston and Danielle Macdonald. This novel was harder for her to write because she resonates closely with the main character, she said: She didn’t think she could

CLASH OF IDENTITY, GENERATIONS IN GOV.

YOU’LL NEVER FIGHT FOR YOURSELF IF YOU DON’T LOVE YOURSELF...”

Omar Saradi the advocate

Photo by Fletcher Wold / the Advocate

New York Times best-selling author Julie Murphy speaking in the Visual Arts Theatre on campus during a Mouths of Others presentation on March 11.

succeed because she never saw other fat people succeed After lots of hard work and commitment she triumphed and created a beautiful novel that is appreciated by many, especially Aniston, who was a prime influencer and one of the various producers of the movie.

There were a few differences between the novel and the movie, Murphy said. Two characters were cut, and “the message was diluted, watered down because it needed to be palpable” for a variety of audiences for it to be successful, she said. The message was transformed into one of self love: “You’ll never fight for yourself if you don’t love yourself,” she stated to the Mt. Hood audience.

Murphy didn’t feel “success” with her art until she was able to support her family, and was writing full-time. It was not easy to come by, though: She sent her book to 100 different publishers and received 100 rejections,

never giving up. Throughout her career, she describes one of her biggest lessons as finding comfort and acceptance in her failures, because without them, you can’t reach success, she said.

One of the most useful tools that Murphy uses to write is the online Pacemaker planning program. It plans out how many words must be written a day to reach a specific writing goal.

She is now writing about 2,000 words a day since she plans to publish one book a year, but her comfort level is writing 1,000 words daily, she said. Her current writing process is very rigid and mandated, not as creative as she wishes.

In all, her recommendation to those who want a career as an author is to find other things that you are passionate about, as these can feed your writing and be used as inspiration – things that help fuel the determination and willingness to put in the work needed.

In this country, hate clearly has no place anywhere – right? So why is there a new congressional resolution on the subject of hate and discrimination? U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), one of the newly elected House members in Congress, was accused by both political parties of anti-Semitic remarks after criticizing a lobbying group that has ties to the government of Israel. Soon after, most politicians were calling for her to apologize – and after she did, they still said they felt like she was being anti-Semitic.

It’s interesting, because the Democratic Party and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi weren’t hesitant to throw Ilhan under the bus. Keep in mind, everyone was seemingly cheering for her a couple months earlier because she’s a Somali refugee of Muslim faith who made it all the way to Washington, D.C. But I feel like her identity is exactly why she was made to apologize. If you ask me, pointing out that a group lobbying is indeed a lobbying group isn’t discriminatory to a race or religion. In the past, she has been critical of the lobbying groups regarding the kingdom of Saudi Arabia; is this considered Islamophobic, even though she is Muslim? Again, I don’t consider it

truly hateful.

So, it frustrates me when both Democrats and Republicans have sharply criticized her comments, while some GOP reps and the chief executive of the land himself get away with saying things that are more hateful and discriminatory.

In addition, it was kind of a slap in the face to the establishment – on both sides – to come to the vague “disciplinary” resolution they settled on. A good portion of the Democrats came out in defense of Omar, including many Jewish people, for the same reason I stated. This was a weeklong decision-making process that ultimately came to nothing, and since the resolution agreed to go after Islamophobic remarks, it was Ilhan who had the last laugh.

Many people on the right-wing side of politics pointed to her faith as the reason she believed in anti-Semitism, going to the extent of criticizing her for wearing a hijab. Wouldn’t this beconsidered Islamophobic by our new standards now?

So, now we’re at a standstill on this political dueling match between the old and the new. I see it as not only a clash of generations, but, ironically, a clash of identity. It didn’t take long for House representatives such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib to come to Ilhan Omar’s defense, because as marginalized people coming from the same wing of politics, they’re willing to stick up for each other unapologetically.

That’s the real resolution I got from this: People like Ilhan Omar, who come from a unique background, shouldn’t be blamed mainly for their identity. Believe it or not, hate goes both ways, and that’s why she has the upper hand after this ‘resolution’.

Advisers

Dan Ernst Howard Buck

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF MHCC Editor-in-Chief Megan Phelps Associate Editor/ Photo Editor Fletcher Wold Associate Editor/ News Editor Cassie Wilson Assistant News Editor Chloe Collins Sports Editor Jonathan Zacarias PA G E 2

Arts & Entertainment Editor Position Open Opinion Editor Position Open Graphic Design Editor Eli Rankin Graphic Design Team Angeles Ramirez Photo Team Maysee Thao Zarah Escutia

Video Team Andy Carothers Drevsen Shadley Copy Editors Hannah Meisenhelder Positions Open Web Editors Positions Open Ad Manager Darcy Hitchcock Social Media Manager Position Open

Staff Writers Teela Bright Julia Empleo Sadie Klein Kurt Larson Jennifer Salazar Omar Saradi Positions Open Distribution Specialist Julia MacDonald

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@mhccadvocate Get Involved! Come visit us during our weekly meetings on Monday and Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. in our office, room AC1369.

NEWS

MARCH 15, 2019

MHCC MOVES TOWARD AFFORDABLE TEXTBOOKS Jennifer Salazar the advocate

Spring Term is nearly here, and with it, plenty of new stress for most students.

Open Educational Resources (OER) can be the answer to reducing one big stress, however: The high cost of many textbooks.

MHCC leaders know textbook

affordability is an issue for most students, and want to do what they can to help students out. A series of events at Mt. Hood in early March celebrating OER helped to share information and build awareness.

The OER events held for MHCC students and staff were organized in part by Collin-Kazu Lewis, Associated Student Government academic affairs representative.

First, on March 4, Lewis and fellow Saints student Chelsea Allison sat on a panel at Portland State University to show support for OER and share their stories on how OER has made going to college easier on them.

On March 5, ASG students hosted a midday event at MHCC where information about OER was given and special guest Amy

Hofer, of the Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources, spoke about OER’s importance.

On March 6 there was a training session on OER vs. Free vs. Fair Use, organized by Mt. Hood’s formal Textbook Affordability Team (TAT), which works closely with the MHCC Library.

The following day, students and faculty at Mt. Hood were able to express how OER affects them during an open panel discussion.

HOW TO LOOK FOR OER Open Educational Resources are materials with specialized copyright licenses that allow for retention, revision, remixing, reusing, and redistribution of those materials without breaking copyright law – all for free. OER can make a student’s life easier by saving them hundreds of dollars, perhaps in single term, at Mt. Hood or elsewhere.

Most of the time, students are too busy to research the books needed for their courses. Many just nod their heads when an instructor hands out a syllabus with the name of the textbook needed for their class.

OER supporters want teachers and students to know there are other options.

MHCC offers an easy way for students to choose the course that offers a low-cost or no-cost textbook. When signing up for a course on the Mt. Hood course search web page, there is a textbook price tab that tells students if the course offers a low- (under $50) or no-cost ($0) textbook. Using an OER textbook is easy – there’s a choice of downloading for free, or

Cover by: Eli Rankin and Fletcher Wold / the Advocate

E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu Phone: 503-491-7250 Website: advocate-online.net Mt. Hood Community College Room 1369 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham OR 97030

A BIG HELP Lewis said he’s had feedback that at least 9 out of 10 students on campus don’t know what OER is.

During the OER sessions, he saw many students excited to learn the new options they have. He noted that OER is still a slow process and requires a lot of change, especially for teachers. He said he has seen how teachers are maybe nervous or scared to change their curriculum, or too comfortable with what they already have, which makes adapting OER a difficult task.

When OER is adopted, though, there are many positives.

Kaylee Kuborn and Dilla Hanifah have both benefited from OER at Mt. Hood, they said.

Hanifah was given an OER textbook written by Jack Green, MHCC math instructor. “It helped me a lot because the money I didn’t have to spend in math, I used for my other expenses,” Hanifah said. “I also feel that a lot of OER textbooks are more clear and the authors narrow it down to the most important topics they want to teach.”

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On the cover: A photo illustration of MHCC printmaking instructor Edie Overturf; her various works of art can be seen in the Visual Arts Gallery.

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buying the print copy for a much lower cost than other books.

Not only do OER materials save money for students, but instructors also have the opportunity to control the books they use to teach students. Mt. Hood’s TAT also can offer grants and faculty incentives for those instructors who choose to write their own books, backed by MHCC Foundation funding.

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.

This could be YOU Are you passionate about MHCC? Are you creative? Do you want to learn valuable skills to show off on a resumé? The Advocate is a great place for all of those things! We have positions open in social media management, writing, web management, graphic design, and more!

Stop by our office in Room 1369, located in the Integrated Media department. We are looking for dedicated, self-driven students who care.

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NEWS | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

NEWS BRIEFS with Megan Phelps

PIZZA WITH THE PRESIDENTS On Tuesday (March 19) from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Union students will be offered free pizza and a chance to talk to College President, Lisa Skari, and Associated Student Government President Bob Hansen.

HUE DESIGN FIELD TRIP On Tuesday from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. students have the opportunity to visit Hue Design in downtown Gresham for an interactive opportunity with the Student Services Hub design with the option to help pick design concepts for the Hub. If you are interested in attending, contact matthew. farina@mhcc.edu and john.hamblin@mhcc.edu.

Attendees plan to meet in the Student Union at 1:30 p.m. in order to coordinate transportation to Hue Design.

BOARD MEETING On Wednesday (March 20) the MHCC District Board of

Education will have a meeting in the board room at 6:30 p.m.

The board will take action on student fee and tuition increases, among other items.

ASMHCC CANDIDATE INFORMATIONAL MEETING On Friday (March 22) from 6 to 7 p.m. information sessions for students interested in running for ASG president and vice president will be held in the ASG Council Chambers (at the rear of the Student Union); candidate applications are due March 25 at 11:59 p.m.

For more information go to the Student Union or go to mhcc. edu/ASG. SPORTS EVENTS The Saints baseball and softball teams will have multiple games during spring break. For more information, go to the mhcc. edu events calendar, located on the front page.

PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK On Wednesday (April 3) from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be an event discussing public health in the Student Union.

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A D V O C AT E - O N L I N E . N E T

PRINT-MAKING: A FORMULA Chloe Collins the advocate

If you walk into the Visual Arts Gallery before March 29, you will see vivid graphic art pieces by Edie Overturf, a recent addition to Mt. Hood’s art faculty, lining the walls.

Overturf currently has art work showing in three states, including Maryland, Texas, and here at MHCC. The school often displays the art of new art instructors, so she decided to showcase some pieces from as long ago as 2017, and produced just in 2019.

Overturf began working at MHCC as the printmaking instructor in September, just weeks after moving to Oregon for the job. She had previously worked as a visiting assistant professor in printmaking and digital drawing at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she lived.

She received her bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, in 2003. She went on to earn a master’s degree in fine arts in 2006 from California State University, Chico.

Overturf said throughout her education, her focus remained on printmaking, but she enjoys

Photo by Fletcher Wold / the Advocate

experimenting with different art forms. She found neon art and sculpting with concrete to be especially fun.

Still, she always has come back to printmaking as her main art form. She theorizes that this could be due to her love of formulas and analytics. She said she almost decided to be a chemistry major, but ended up choosing the blend of creativity and analytics that come with print making.

Printmaking is a process involving a formula of steps you must follow, she noted. She likes the speed of it – it takes time and it isn’t quick or necessarily easy. Another aspect that draws her in is the graphic aesthetic that can’t be found in some other art forms, she said.

Mt. Hood has required an

adjustment from Overturf ’s previous job. She is getting used to the quarter system, since she was accustomed to having the same students for longer periods of time in Minnesota.

So far, Overturf says that MHCC staff has been very welcoming and helpful. She is currently teaching three classes per term, including printmaking and two drawing classes. She encourages her drawing students to use their imagination in their art, and she enjoys seeing forms of art that are less common in a gallery, such as comics or ’zines (a small booklet of art), she said.

Overturf ’s work will be displayed through March 28. The Visual Arts Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

PLANETARIUM SHOWINGS Kurt Larson the advocate

Photo by Fletcher Wold / the Advocate

Collin-Kazu Lewis, Associated Student Government academic affairs representative listening to the OER panel on Thursday, March 7.

Kuborn, a political science major student, said she was surprised by the high cost of one textbook when school started, and thought she had to go through the same process for all of her classes. She was surprised when her psychology professor simply said that the web link to the book was on the syllabus. She understood the book was free, but had no idea it was because of OER. Now, she says supporting OER is really important because it opens many doors for all students.

“If I’m paying for a higher PA G E 4

education I expect the standards to be higher, but just because I can afford certain high-cost books I know some people can’t,” she said.

“I’m (not) going to stop advocating for more accessible education.”

Both Hanifah and Kuborn understand that some teachers may not want to adapt to OER, in order to not hurt authors who make a living from their books. They said they respect teachers’ choices, but still hope more instructors consider being a part of OER.

Have you ever lain upon the grass on a warm summer’s night and gazed up at the stars and pondered the mysteries of the world, or wondered just how unfathomably large our universe really is?

Or maybe you just got done watching all of the “Star Wars” movies and you’re curious about just how much of the films are an accurate portrayal of space.

Well, if any of those descriptions apply to you, you’re in luck because M H C C Graphic by Eli Rankin / the Advocate hosts two planetarium shows on the first Tuesday and Friday of each month, from October to June.

Not only do the hourlong shows cover new and interesting material each month, but attendees have the chance to participate in live discussion and are

encouraged to ask as many questions as possible.

Mt. Hood astronomy instructor and Planetarium Director Pat Hanrahan usually hosts each show, providing a wealth of new and interesting facts about space. Of course, he is always ready to answer questions during the course of the program.

Learn everything from the origins of the zodiac signs to why the constellations look the way they do, or even how many more years it will take for our sun to go supernova.

There’s always something new discover out there in that final frontier, so don’t miss your chance to attend the next planetarium show.

After Spring Break, the next shows take place on April 5 and 8, and this time it’s all about auroras, cosmic rays, shooting stars, and other space invaders – sounds like fun.

General admission is $5; Mt. Hood students with ID and children under age 18 pay $2.

For more information, including show dates and directions, see: mhcc.edu/planetarium.