The Advocate, Issue 25 - April 27, 2018

Independent Student Voice of MHCC

Volume 52, Issue 25 APRIL 27, 2018 advocate-online.net

DoJ silently changes consent definition PAGE 2

From student to writer to teacher PAGE 4

Your key to the Universe PAGE 5

SAINTS SWING FOR SOUTH LEAD Budget season bites board PAGE 7

FOLLOW US ON SPOTIFY SCAN FOR PLAYLIST

>>>>

2016 FIRST PLACE

General excellence Oregon Newspaper Publisher Association

PAGE 8

OPINION EDITORIAL

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

REDEFINING WHAT SEXUAL ASSAULT IS

Justice Department change spurs confusion on consent

I

f you go onto the U.S. Department of Justice’s website and search “sexual assault,” you’ll find the following definition: “The term ‘sexual assault’ means any nonconsensual sexual act proscribed by Federal, tribal or State law, including when the victim lacks capacity to consent.” Seems relatively innocuous, if a little vague, right?

But as recently as April 5, the DoJ’s official descriptor of what constitutes sexual assault was significantly less vague. A web archive of the April 5 page defines sexual assault as “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault are sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.”

That’s pretty specific, but at first glance it doesn’t seem to be that different from the current iteration.

One would assume that the sexual activities listed on April 5 are also proscribed under federal, tribal or state law. Do we really need all those extra words to spell that out?

An astute observer, however, would point to the differing treatment of consent. The old definition mentions “the explicit consent” as crucial to consensual sex. In other words, both parties need to explicitly consent to a sexual activity for it to be considered sex.

Advocates of this type of approach to consent typically describe this framework as “yes means yes,” as in it’s only consensual if you hear the

Editor-in-Chief Matana McIntire Associate Editor/ News Editor Greg Leonov Copy Editor Position Open Co-Arts & Entertainment Editor Ryan Moore Co-Arts & Entertainment/ Social Media Manager Cassie Wilson

PA G E 2

word “yes.”

The new wording, however, leaves the definition of consent up to the states, who are anything but in agreement on the topic of consent.

According to RAINN (the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), there are eight states with laws

“

assault consists of “sexual intercourse with a member of the opposite sex…”

Point is, there’s now 50 different definitions of sexual assault and consent as far as the DoJ is concerned, making the assessments of the genuine state of affairs when it comes to sexual assault in America decidedly… confusing.

So, does this change current legislation regarding sexual assault?

MISUSE AND ABUSE OF POWER OCCURS IN THE SHADOWS, WHEN FACTS AND REALITIES ARE OBSCURED.”

currently on the books describing consent using the “yes means yes” scaffolding: Florida, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Washington, New Jersey, Illinois, and California.

Pennsylvania, by contrast, does not specifically define consent; Iowa has a tiered system of what constitutes sexual assault, ranging from really bad, to not-as-bad; Alabama’s courts insist that sexual

Does this let would-be rapists off the hook?

Not really. As strange as that may sound, sexual assault isn’t a federal crime. This is actually precisely the logic that supporters of the executive branch’s decision to change the wording point to. Because the feds don’t have jurisdiction, they argue, they should keep their noses out of it!

It also should be noted that this

Opinion Editor Kyle Venooker

Video Team Andy Carothers

Sports Editor Jonathan Zacarias

Web Editor Position Open

Graphic Design Team Prisma Flores Nicole Meade Sheila Embers

Ad Managers Megan Phelps Twesiga Disan

Photo Editor Fletcher Wold Photo Team Fadi Shahin Andy Carothers Lisa Sellers

Advisers Howard Buck Dan Ernst Staff Writers Logan Hertner Kente Bates Lukas Brito Barry Morganti

rewording isn’t going to change how judges hear court cases. It’s not like the DoJ’s definition of sexual assault alters any laws on the books. It doesn’t take the place of legislation, it doesn’t change or overturn any convictions, and it doesn’t necessarily impact prosecution of assault.

Fears of undercount In reality, the most significant impact this relatively inconspicuous change in wording is going to have is with respect to everyone’s favorite subject: statistics.

In 2012, Susan Carbon, thendirector of the Office on Violence Against Women, applauded the Obama-era revision of the DoJ’s definition of “forcible rape.” The new definition offered a drastically broader definition than the previous one (written in 1927 and unrevised, if you can believe it). Regarding why the specific language the DoJ used was important, she said, “Even though most states [had] more expansive definitions of rape in their criminal codes, they had to report the smaller number of crimes falling under the more narrow UCR SRS (Uniform Crime Report) definition.

“This meant that the statistics that were reported nationally were both inaccurate and under-counted,” Carbon said.

More focus needed, not less Well, okay, so some stats were off: That’s sort of the nature of statistics, isn’t it? That stats aren’t ever going to be 100 percent reflective of the data they’re trying to represent.

Cover by: Fletcher Wold In photo: Mt. Hood’s Makiah Johnson sending it over the fence.

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 Room AC1369

The Advocate encourages readers to share their opinion by letters to the editor and guest columns for publication. All submissions

But these statistics are actually pretty important. According to the FBI’s website, Uniform Crime Report data that is submitted by police departments “serves many purposes. [It] provides law enforcement with data for use in budget formulation, planning, resource allocation, assessment of police operations, etc., to help address the crime problem at various levels.”

In other words, a significant amount of financial allocation is based on this data. A reduction in the reporting of sexual assault equates to a reduction in the amount of money to be dedicated to combating sexual assault.

The real question, then, is whether or not sexual assault can be reined in all by the legal system. Is it up to lawyers and judges to deter rapists? Is it up to police? Is this a battle to be waged culturally? Are those damned feminists just making a huge issue out of nothing?

We at the Advocate firmly believe that reductions in reporting of sexual assault will not reduce sexual assault, and will make the problem worse.

Misuse and abuse of power occurs in the shadows, when facts and realities are obscured. A quick look at Hollywood in the past year or so shows that transparency and accountability are absolutely crucial when it comes to challenging cultural norms and fighting injustice.

This change in the DoJ’s wording is decidedly a step backward in the fight to combat sexual assault.

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.

OPINION

APRIL 27, 2018

OPPOSITION INSPIRES BALANCE ARE YOU A HARD-HITTING We’re all parts of a greater whole WATCHDOG? DO Lukas Brito

the advocate

If the world was filled with just “Lukas Britos,” we would all listen to Tchaikovsky, “Stranger Things” would have zero views, and everyone would drive a Cadillac at some point in their life.

Thank God the world is not only filled with Lukas Britos, because we would live in world that would be clueless about many things and most likely fall apart. Not because I am unstable, but because it would be impossible for the world to function with only one type of person. I promise you, I am not a boring person; I can assure you that there is more to me than just classical music, Cadillacs, and my absence of knowledge about “Stranger Things,”

but let’s say the world has only one Lukas Brito, and only one of you.

Now, do not worry, this column is not about my enamor for Cadillacs, although I could easily go off on that and waste your time.

Instead, lend me your eyes for just a couple minutes while I explain why the world needs you.

The world is like a scale, and we the people are the ones who determine the balance. This scale can be interpreted anyway you wish, but for you to have a better understanding of what I am trying to say, hear me out. In your head, picture a scale, and notice that there are two sides. Obviously, in order to have a balanced scale, there has to be an opposing weight present.

Now you may or may not agree with the opposite weight, but without it, your scale would topple over.

Politics can be appropriately represented by a scale – do not worry, I am not going to talk about politics, I am just using it as an example. On your right of the scale, you have the Conservatives, while on the left are your Liberals.

Even though there is hardly any mutual concession between the two parties, they both need each other to function. A strong government

is not generated solely from one stance; a strong government needs an opposition of views and ideas in order to formulate a well-run democracy.

You might be asking yourself, “what does this have to do with me?”

Everything. It has everything to do with you. You can formulate thoughts and ideas in ways that no one else will be able to do. The scale is not only applied to politics, but just about anything. Such as different occupations: What if everyone in the world was a chef, and someone needed heart surgery, who would perform it? I consider myself a logical person, but if everyone was logical, this world would be a boring place.

I need someone to accommodate for my lack of creativeness; I need someone on the opposite side of my scale.

Now you might think, “Well, I am just one person, and I don’t matter.” I have asked myself this question too, but the answer is simple: You do matter. The value of a dollar is not the same if it is missing even one penny. We all must find our place on the scale and keep the world balanced.

YOU WANT TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH? PERHAPS YOU’RE AN ARTIST OR DESIGNER...

SHOWCASE YOUR TALENTS WITH US. COME WORK FOR THE ADVOCATE – FIND US IN AC 1369 OR AT ADVOCATE-ONLINE.NET; ADVOCATT@MHCC.EDU

PA G E 3

NEWS

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

MATTHEW ROBINSON'S FULL CIRCLE MOMENTS MHCC writing instructor nominated for Oregon Book Award Cassie Wilson the advocate

First-time novelist, MHCC instructor and National Guard veteran Matthew Robinson is a finalist in the fiction category for the 2018 Oregon Book Awards for his novel, “The Horse Latitudes.”

Competing in Robinson’s category are some quite familiar names in the Mt. Hood community: Omar El Akkad, a recent “Mouths of Others” featured speaker on campus, for “American War” – and Lidia Yuknavitch, former Mt. Hood writing instructor, for her recent work, “The Book of Joan.”

Robinson served six years in the Oregon Army National Guard, including deployment to Baghdad, Iraq in 2004-05. He came back, took some time and then in 2010 he started college for what would be his third time doing so.

Robinson began at Mt. Hood, and it was here that he started the beginning stages of what would become “Horse Latitudes,” which centers on American soldiers in Iraq.

“I took Lidia Yuknavitch’s fiction writing class here in 2012,” he said.

That commenced his roughly fouryear writing process, before the book was published in autumn 2016. He went from learning from Yuknavitch to being a finalist in the same awards category as her. “I took a workshop with her and we were in it when it was announced and we both came in the next week and just looked at each other like, ‘I don’t know if we’re supposed to say anything yet, but we both know,’ and it was a really nice moment,” he explained.

Gravitates toward fiction “Horse Latitudes” is based on a unit similar to his own while in Baghdad, he said. “The events and the characters are fictional, but I knew the setting pretty well, so I used that same setting from 2004 in Baghdad to inform the novel.”

Robinson decided to lean towards fiction because he likes being able to experiment in ways that can’t be done in nonfiction without altering the truth.

“The consequences would change if the events changed and I found value in that,” he said.

After Robinson studied at Mt. Hood, he continued on to Portland State to earn a master’s degree in PA G E 4

Photo by Fletcher Wold // the Advocate

Matthew Robinson is nominated for the fiction category of the 2018 Oregon Book Awards for his novel, "The Horse Latitudes."

creative writing. The following summer he had time to fill, so he started an online literary magazine, “The Gravity of the Thing.”

The focus of the site is to allow space for experimental work to be published. A technique called “defamiliarization” – in which writers present common objects or situations in unfamiliar fashion to offer a fresh perspective – is one of his favorite things to practice and teach, but many publishers he encountered weren’t so fond of it.

“If it’s in any way experimental,

we (at Gravity) want to see it,” he said. “We have rolling submissions, so out of three months (prior to publication) we’re open two months for people to send it, and it’s free to submit,” he explained.

Helping Mt. Hood students Following that summer, Robinson entered into Portland State’s creative writing master’s program. He had no previous interest in becoming a teacher, largely due to social anxiety, but in his last year of his master’s program, he was offered a job to teach an

introduction to fiction writing class at PSU. “I taught that class and loved it, and then after that I applied for Mt. Hood’s adjunct (instructor) pool, and luckily they gave me a class,” he said.

Currently, he’s teaching Writing 115, and he’s seen great student success stories come from an assignment he gives.

“I assign a certain number of essays per term and for one of them we work on a cover letter,” he said. His students pick a job or

scholarship they may have genuine interest in applying for, in order to make the practice as realistic as possible.

“I’ve had students come back in following terms and say they got the job or they got the scholarship when I never made submitting it part of the requirement, so those kinds of things are nice when I see a tangible result of a student applying something we’ve talked about,” he said.

On the other hand, Robinson’s also gotten to read some unique fiction work by students, which can touch on subjects he may not have adequate knowledge of.

One recent term, “for some reason, Bigfoot came up more often than usual in stories,” he said. He looked up Sasquatch stories and lore to try to give students solid feedback, “Like, I don’t know, what do you call Mrs. Bigfoot? Is there a different term?”

Next novel in works When Robinson isn’t teaching, he’s keeping up with his four children, ages 10, 13, 14, and 15.

“The kids and I are trying to keep up with all of the superhero movies, and that’s hard because getting all four of them on one time-line to watch them has been difficult,” he said.

He also tries to keep up with new releases from his author friends while working on new writing of his own. “I’m in the process of writing a short story collection with another writer who was also on my deployment,” he said.

The stories dive into the backgrounds of some of the characters, confronting toxic masculinity and issues of violence at a young age. “That will be compiled and hopefully published in August by a small press in Portland,” said Robinson.

On top of that, he’s already planning his next novel, likely a follow-up to “Horse Latitudes” that takes place 10 years after the characters’ re-integration process back home in America.

It’s safe to say that Robinson is keeping busy.

The Oregon Book Awards take place on Monday, April 30, starting 7:30 p.m. at the Gerding Theater at the Armory in Portland. Tickets are available at BrownPaperTickets.com.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

APRIL 27, 2018

THE ROAD TO ‘INFINITY WAR’ Reflecting on a decade of Marvel’s revolutionary Cinematic Universe Ryan Moore the advocate

With a total of 18 movies set in such a variety of times and locations, and a cast that has grown by the dozens over the years, Marvel has told an impressive amount of stories about so many superheroes both new and familiar. While some films took place in New York City and others in the outer reaches of space, every one of these films are connected in that they all share the same universe.

Over time it’s become a tradition for fans to sit through all of the credits at the end of the latest Marvel film in order to watch one or two bonus scenes that give small hints to an upcoming movie. These after-credits scenes either introduce a new hero or villain with nods to the comics themselves, or link a cast member from one film that might appear in another.

An element that has played an integral part in several Marvel movies is the whereabouts of the six infinity stones. These colorful, incredibly powerful items all possess unique characteristics and are also being pursued by the dark lord Thanos, played by Josh Brolin.

Interestingly, one stone has yet

to be uncovered in any film thus far, but many suspect that it will be introduced in Wakanda during the events of Marvel’s next Avengers film, premiering this weekend.

Since 2008 with the premiere of the first “Iron Man” film, fans have been connecting the dots and following the scattered path that has become the Marvel cinematic universe.

“

EVERY ONE OF THESE FILMS ARE CONNECTED IN THAT THEY ALL SHARE THE SAME UNIVERSE.”

Now, 10 years later, the world is gearing up for “Avengers: Infinity War,” the third iteration of Marvel’s effort to pack as many heroes in one movie as is physically possible. Back in October, more than 80 actors and filmmakers got together on the movie set in Atlanta for a group photo in celebration of Marvel’s

massive success over the past decade.

With more movies set for the near future, and after earning over $13.5 billion at the box office during that time, there was plenty to be celebrated.

Considering that opening weekend is upon us, there may be little to no time to catch up on all the previous movies. Thankfully, there are a few options to help prepare yourself for this next epic installment. One movie that helps set the stage for Avengers is Black Panther given the introduction of Wakanda, a region that will play a big role in Infinity War. If you are looking for a condensed explanation of each hero’s journey until this moment in the Marvel universe, there are a plethora of video essays on Youtube that describe highlights from every prior movie in chronological order.

If you’re planning on seeing “Infinity War” this weekend, make sure you and your viewing party arrive in time to get good seats, because this premiere will be an event likely to break more box office records.

2014

HONORING THE LEGACY OF AVICII: LISTEN TO OUR TRIBUTE PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY.

Graphic by Matana McIntire // the Advocate

Graphic by Sheila Embers // the Advocate

PA G E 5

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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

‘WAY OUT’ PROVIDES COZY ATMOSPHERE FOR THE FAM Lukas Brito

the advocate “The way out” is something my mom would say while pointing at the door, demanding my siblings and I burn off our excess energy outside whenever we got too rambunctious. But the phrase “the way out” has now progressed into a much more positive connotation for me.

If you find yourself hungry and looking for a nearby place to eat, do not fret anymore: Just scurry on down to Troutdale and head over to The Way Out Inn, a promising new venue.

Located in Troutdale’s busy downtown, at 276 East Columbia River Highway, The Way Out Inn offers great pizzas and drinks that will accommodate your hunger and thirst. Ever find yourself Saturday evening wanting to get a beer and hang out with the boys? Head on down. Now, I wouldn’t know, because I am not of age to know, but they’re also known for their great selection of local cider and beers.

Not feeling like drinking, but want to take

PA G E 6

the family out to dinner? The Way Out Inn is your place to go. With its delicious, customizable pizzas, with homemade dough and home-

Photo by Fletcher Wold // the Advocate

made sauce, I can guarantee your kids won’t leave hungry and you won’t have to be pointing to the door telling them where the way out

is. And it all comes at a great price!

This is a family friendly restaurant with first-rate service, and a friendly atmosphere, giving it a well-earned five stars, in my book.

I know I will definitely be heading back there very soon.

The only downfall about this location is that the space is limited. The cozy atmosphere is attractive, but fills quickly. And as summer is right around the corner, warm, relaxed evenings are going to be more popular than ever before. Get there early if you want to find a great spot.

Whether you are a pizza hater or pizza lover, I can guarantee you will enjoy your time at The Way Out Inn. If you do not like the great food, you’ll enjoy the company of the people and the entertainment provided to you by local bands.

Not only is this restaurant for all ages, it’s a great place for anyone to sit back, take a breather and de-stress from a busy work week.

NEWS | SPORTS

APRIL 27, 2018

MHCC WORKING WAY OUT OF DEFICIT

SHATTERING PERSONAL RECORDS

Despite shortfall, budget proposal adds positions Matana McIntire & Greg Leonov the advocate

Mt. Hood’s operating budget for 2018-19 dominated discussion when the MHCC District board of education met on April 18.

The board quickly reconvened as the official budget committee, with Annette Matson as chairwoman.

College President Debbie Derr led off the meeting with a statement.

She said new Learning Communities that have formed with the help of federal Title III funding have contributed to an 11 percent increase in students’ completion of programs and a 6 percent increase in student retention.

More work is needed to balance Mt. Hood’s finances, meantime.

“The college still faces an operational deficit,” said Derr. “However, we are also making progress toward continuing to balancing and realigning our expenditures and revenues supporting the strategic goal of financial stability.”

Derr said that on top of the $7 per-credit tuition increase effective starting Summer Term, the college raised student access fee and college service fee amounts by $4 per term “to expand public safety coverage on campus and to create a student employment coordinator.”

In the board-approved budget plan – pending public feedback – funding for a second mechatronics instructor is included. This would add a second cohort (peer group of new mechatronics students) and allow “full utilization of the new lab,” said Derr.

Additional staff for disabilities services would be added, and a new support position for international students would be added “to provide support service and stability as this program expands,” she said.

A current empty position would be redesigned to hire a student conduct officer “that will enhance an equity based approach for student complaints, conduct, and behavioral intervention,” said Derr.

The president also said that over half a million dollars’ worth of tech-

nology, equipment, and infrastructure needs were found during the development of the budget, which sets some funding aside for these needs.

Jennifer DeMent, Mt. Hood’s chief operations officer, presented a detailed budget overview. The total proposed budget for 2018-19 is $161.7 million, with $36.4 million going to student aid. According to the proposal, the student aid fund “was established to account for revenue and expenditures for various programs providing grants, loans, or wages for students from state or federal funds.”

The proposed budget lays out $79 million for employee salaries, which is 80 percent of the budget’s general fund. About 3 percent, or $2.3 million, will go towards paying off some of the college’s debt.

The proposed budget allocates $758,990 of the student aid fund to “personal services,” said DeMent.

“The personal services is our federal work study dollars. We have not done a great job of spending those,” she said. The hope is that the new student employment coordinator could focus on distributing more funds to departments that would entice students to come and earn work study income, she said.

A line-by-line overview of the budget is scheduled for another Wednesday, May 9 hearing open to all, here at Mt. Hood.

In non-budget business, the board presented new Outstanding Support Staff awards.

Awards went to Lynn Ferris, administrative assistant for Visual Arts; Oleg Sizmin, custodian; and Mike Hein, program assistant for AVID and the Learning Success Center.

Broadcasting instructor and adviser JD Kiggins and Al Sigala, MHCC Foundation & Alumni Relations executive director, provided an update on a grant from MetroEast Community Media that would make it possible to televise future Mt. Hood District board meetings.

The next board meeting is scheduled for May 16 at 7 p.m.

Erica Veltkamp knocked 39 seconds off her personal best in the 5,000-meter race with a time of 19:08.78, finishing sixth in the Cougar Open last weekend, April 21. This puts Veltkamp second in the NWAC standings.

Photo by Fletcher Wold // the Advocate

EOU GRESHAM eou.edu/gresham | apwilliams@eou.edu | 503.491.7248

Come see me today on the Mt. Hood campus! > Free unofficial transcript review > Learn about Fast Track Transfers > Create your educational plan to EOU

Pick your EOU major – fully accredited and online! eou.edu/online

Andrea P. Williams | Center Director, Advisor Partnering with Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark St. | AC 3308A PA G E 7

SPORTS

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

SAINTS STARS ALIGN FOR PLAYOFF PUSH

Photos by: Fletcher Wold // The Advocate

Jonathan Zacarias the advocate

The Mt. Hood softball team is yet again on track for a playoff run this spring. But that’s nothing new: School records show the Saints have made the playoffs 22 straight seasons and this year shouldn’t be the exception.

Through Thursday’s games, MHCC stands second in the South Region of the NWAC conference with a record of 14-4 (22-10 overall).

The Saints’ win total already exceeds last year’s 10-19 record. Though they did qualify last season for the playoffs, they finished seventh in the South, were seeded 15th in the 16-team championship tournament and were quickly eliminated.

“Last year was a rough year,” said second-year Saints head coach Brittany Hendrickson, prior to a Tuesday evening contest with Chemeketa Community College.

“I wouldn’t say it was horrible; we ended the season around .500 (1923 in all games played). It just wasn’t where we necessarily wanted to be.”

It was definitely a transition season for Hendrickson. She followed a remarkable 15-year run by her predecessor, Meadow McWhorter, who left to take over the Portland State softball program.

Under McWhorter, the Saints were dominant, winning five NWAC championships in her last eight PA G E 8

years – including the 2016 team.

Hendrickson said she respected all the returning (and defending champion) sophomores in her first season at Mt. Hood, but that it was tough to bring her own philosophy to the program, bringing together the new freshman players and the veterans used to McWhorter’s style.

She’s enjoying this season more, saying she’s been more free to put her own twist on things. The results show her philosophies are working, and she’s happy with her team.

“I think we’re the most talented team in the NWAC,” Hendrickson said, crediting the great leadership of sophomore Makiah Johnson, her first-string pitcher, McKenzie Pierce, and freshman Kennedy Jantzi, who is batting nearly .500 in conference play.

The Saints will be put to the test this weekend: They host South Region leader Lower Columbia Community College, just one game ahead of them, in a doubleheader starting at noon Saturday in Gresham.

Go-to leader Johnson, from Newport, Oregon has signed a letter of intent to play with Corban University in Salem next year. The Saints centerfielder posted a .392 batting average last season and was awarded with South all-region first team honors.

She said settling on Corban has relaxed her this season, while her

personality lends to a leadership role at Mt. Hood.

ABOVE: Sophomore leader Makiah Johnson.

“I’m a people person!” she explained about her ability to get along with everyone on the team and simply be approachable. Many teammates come to her for help, which not only makes her happy but also shows why the team is so successful and united, she said.

Asked how far she thought Mt. Hood can go this season, she confidently said, “Oh, we’re going all the way.”

‘Backyard’ ace Pierce is a local product from Sam Barlow High School, who said Mt. Hood is pretty much her backyard, living just one minute away from campus. She knew the program from some friends who had committed to Mt. Hood and had attended some camps here, as well. The freshman loved the

atmosphere and after talking with coach Hendrickson, decided to become a Saint.

“I love it! I love it here,” said Pierce. “The competition here is different. (After) playing in high school with the same girls for four years, coming in here, being my first year, having all these teams come, different players from different states come, just seeing these different skills in college, is really nice.”

Pierce has been a key for the Saints from the start. She was awarded NWAC Softball Player of the Week honors in Week 1 of South Region play, picking up a pair of complete games with only one earned run allowed.

the position I am without the other pitchers in the team, our pitching coaches, and the rest of the team because they push me so hard to get my spots down, get my spins right.

They’re the ones that make me perform the way that I can.”

Confident slugger

ABOVE: Freshman Kennedy Jantzi.

ABOVE: Freshman McKenzie Pierce.

“McKenzie has been pitching phenomenal for us,” said Hendrickson. Pierce gives credit to the team, saying, “I wouldn’t be in

Jantzi, first-baseman from West Albany High School, is a confident one, to say the least. She’s not shy at expressing her play, and her numbers back her up. She is batting .423 in conference play, with a team-leading 9 home runs.

“My goal isn’t to hit a home run every game. Like, that’s just something that comes naturally,” said Jantzi. “My goal, honestly, is to help out my team. I want to do whatever I can to put my team in the best position to win, like, to bring in the runners before me that are on base.”