The Advocate - Volume 57, Issue 9 - April 28, 2023

Volume 57, Issue 9 – April 28, 2023 advocate-online.net

FOR THE STUDENTS, BY THE STUDENTS

An eye on May 16 ballot PAGE 3

'Air' – slam dunk or air ball?

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Visual exhibit inspires local connections

BEYOND HAND SIGNALS –

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MHCC'S ASL CLUB A TRUE COMMUNITY PAGE 7

Legacy backpedals on birthing center closure PAGE 2

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NEWS

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

LEGACY MT. HOOD CONTROVERSY Birthing center to reopen Avery Diep

The Advocate In March, Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center closed its birth center, citing staff shortages and financial losses.

Announcement of this move in January immediately sparked widespread controversy within the greater Gresham and East Multnomah County community for several reasons.

Now, after heavy opposition from state and local lawmakers and health advocates, the hospital has reversed course – and the center will reopen by this summer.

One reason for the controversy is that when the hospital closed its birth center on March 17, it had not obtained the necessary approval from the Oregon Health Authority. Oregon requires all general hospitals, such as Legacy Mount Hood, to provide maternity services. Hospitals are allowed to request this requirement be waived; however, Legacy Mount Hood closed its birth center without obtaining any such waiver.

This abrupt closure opened the possibility of government sanctions against the hospital.

Meantime, the closure diverted maternity patients within the Legacy Health system to Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland (adjacent to Emanuel Hospital), nearly 20 miles away. The sudden influx of patients caused by the closure overwhelmed Randall’s birth center, which was then forced to divert many maternity patients to other hospitals. Many people were concerned that these diversions could pose a substantial risk to the safety of the pregnant women and their babies.

Several Gresham legislators publicly opposed the closure.

State Representative Zach Hudson, who represents the district where the hospital is located, said, “We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the closure of this vital community resource. This birth center is a necessary service for our constituents, and it is irresponsible to burden people in labor (imminent childbirth) to drive even longer distances to reach health services.”

The controversy drew a protest of about 200 people outside of Legacy Mount Hood in February. At the protest, Dr. Mary Afsari-Howard, who works at Legacy Mount Hood,

Photo by Lindsay Leeman

spoke to the crowd. As reported in the healthcare newsletter The Lund Report, she said, “Our team is not replaceable. This department is not expendable. East County lives matter. East County families matter. One life in danger is too many. One baby in distress is too many. One mother unable to get the help she needs is too many.”

The backlash quickly accumulated enough that Legacy Mount Hood backpedaled on the closure, announcing April 12 that it would reopen its birth center within 90 days.

The about-face decision came a little under a month the services had ended on March 17. Legacy officials conceded the closure had been a mistake.

Legacy Health’s Senior Vice President, Jonathan Avery, released a statement reaffirming the system’s commitment to the community. “[W]e want to apologize for the stress, confusion, and disruption caused by the situation at our Mount Hood Family Birth Center,” the statement reads.

“We understand the impact it has had on our employees, providers, and most importantly, our patients. Now, it is our goal to rebuild trust as we move forward together.”

But the damage done won’t be easy to fix. The hospital (and system) has possibly lost a great deal of trust from the community due to this ordeal.

According to one media report, a nurse at Legacy Mount

FOR THE STUDENTS, BY THE STUDENTS.

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Web Editor Avery Diep

Hood said, “It’s been a very devastating, traumatic part of my

by Lindsay...Leeman career and my development as Photo a professional I think that Legacy still has a lot of accountability to (improve).”

“WE CONDEMN, IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS, THE CLOSURE OF THIS VITAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE... IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO BURDEN PEOPLE IN LABOR (IMMINENT CHILDBIRTH) TO DRIVE EVEN LONGER DISTANCES TO REACH HEALTH SERVICES.” -STATE REPRESENTATIVE ZACH HUDSON

COVER PHOTO BY ISABELA DURIGHELLO

Staff Contributors Arianna Perez-Garcia Kyle Long Isabela Durighello Josias Modesto Ellen von Fortune Shalynn Robinett

Photo Team Wes Jensen Lindsay Leeman Sabrina Kuhlman Video Team Jackson Hamelund Kane Finders

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VISIT THE ADVOCATE Room AC 1369 Mon & Tues at noon Thursday all day

Advisers Howard Buck Dan Ernst

Photo by Wes Jensen

ELECTIONS

APRIL 28, 2023

AN EYE ON LOCAL POLITICS WHAT'S ON MULTNOMAH CO. MAY 16 BALLOT

Kane Finders The Advocate

The following is an overview of the main election items facing East Portland and East Multnomah County voters in the May 16 Special Election. This is only scratching the surface of what is on the ballot this election.

Scan the QR code to read through the online Voter Pamphlet.

Note: Due to a printing error, delivery of mail ballots will be delayed until May 2, county officials announced this week.

MULTNOMAH COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 3 The Board of Commissioners are in charge of overseeing Multnomah County’s management and administration. This spring, there are three candidates running for the open seat in District 3, which covers most of Southeast Portland. (Diane Rosenbaum, appointed as interim commissioner late last year, is not seeking election.) First, we have Ana del Rocío. She is currently the executive director of the Oregon Futures Lab. She also has slew of prior governmental and volunteer experiences. She has served on the David Douglas School District board and also was a policy assistant to Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson. Her stated priorities are being able to provide stable housing and “real solutions” to those who are

experiencing homelessness.

Along with that, she prioritizes public safety and making sure those in public safety and other roles of power are held

accountable. Finally, another stated priority is improving access to mental health and addiction resources.

The second candidate is Julia BrimEdwards. Formerly a senior director at Nike in Beaverton, she is currently on the Board of Education for Portland Public Schools.

She has prior government experience within Oregon State University, the Oregon Child Care Commission, and more. Her declared agenda focuses on getting people off the streets into housing, addressing law enforcement staffing issues, improving homeless camps trash cleanup, improving accountability within the county, supporting the county’s strong library system and making sure the county’s children are supported with after-school enrichment programs.

The final contender is Albert Kaufman, who runs his own marketing agency, specializing in social media and email outreach. Previously he was the president of the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association. He describes a focus on making sure the community gets drugs such as fentanyl off the streets, along with guns. He also wants to make sure homeless individuals are getting the services they need. In terms of a specific policy he would like t o

MEASURE 26-238 This countywide measure would create resources for residential tenants who face increasing pressures in the form of providing free lawyers and financial assistance. This would be funded by a new, 0.75% capital gains tax on all county residents, regardless of income level (businesses would be excluded).

These new services would be available to those persons in Multnomah County facing eviction or other similar claims.

Those supporting the measure say it would save public money and keep more people in housing and off the streets. They point to the statistic that only 9% of county residents facing eviction had a lawyer to present them in 2022. The measure would lead to fewer evictions, especially in marginalized communities, they say.

Those in opposition argue this would add more taxes to what residents are already paying, and that a lot of these services are already in place through the Metro Supportive Services measure. It is also a different type of local tax, one that opponents say would be hard to calculate and to enforce.

There is much, much more to this issue and readers are strongly encouraged to look through the arguments for and against this measure in the voters’ pamphlet.

"THE CITY OF GRESHAM FACES AN $8 MILLION BUDGET SHORTFALL"

enact, h e supports a full ban on gasoline-powered tools. He also wants to use warmer tones of lights on streetlights.

MEASURE 26-239 Also known as the Gresham Safety Levy, this would provide funding for police, fire, homeless services, and crisis response within Gresham. This would require assessing an additional property tax of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value – leading to an increase in property taxes of more than 3% (that would be $450 more tax on a home valued at $300,000).

The problem is, without the levy the City of Gresham faces an $8 million budget shortfall, which officials say could lead to layoffs. With the city’s police and fire services stretched thin, officials say that if the levy fails, residents’ lives would be at risk due to the inability to respond. Proponents say it would improve public safety, adding resources for law enforcement to reduce crime and adding fire prevention services and homelessness services.

The voter’s pamphlet includes no direct no opposition statement; however, the main case for the opposition is that it would cost too much to those paying property taxes.

MEASURE 26-240 This is a measure to renew the Portland Children’s Levy, which has been approved four times previously since 2002.

Funds are used for supplying food for children at risk; preventing child abuse; intervening with juvenile crime; supporting early childhood programs, after-school and summer programs, and foster care.

There would be no property tax rate increase, as it is a proposed renewal of the previous, expiring levy, at just over $0.40 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Those in favor say these services are essential and must be continued, plus it doesn’t affect the tax rate. Within the pamphlet there are no arguments in opposition.

Images sourced from web

Multnomah County Voter's Pamphlet:

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ELECTIONS

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

MHCC BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES Newcomers face off for lone contested seat Andrew Hull The Advocate

Four of the seven seats on the MHCC District Board of Education are up for grabs on May 16, but only one contest is contested.

That contested Zone 5 race features two newcomers hoping to succeed Kenney Polson, who will step down from the Board in July after serving eight years.

Five members represent distinct zones of the district, while two more serve in an atlarge capacity. Each serves a four-year term.

The District Board oversees the college president, sets tuition/fee and other student policies, and has ultimate say on financial and academic decisions for the college.

Zone 5 (Centennial/south Gresham to Damascus in Clackamas Co.): Open Seat Barry Fox-Quamme: Fox-Quamme has years of experience as executive director for Independent Living Resources, a local nonprofit focused on delivering peer-based disability resources. He has seen how community college has been a driving force in helping lower-income classes get a good education and progress to a better life, and said he believes that his experience of “direct service, and also experience with oversight and creative problem solving” will help him strive as a board member.

His extensive government experience includes being on the Pleasant Valley North Clackamas Comprehensive Plan Citizens Advisory Committee, where he works on “rezoning parks, water, infrastructure, transportation, and livability” issues.

Barry Fox-Quamme Image sourced from web

Fox-Quamme said he believes Mt. Hood is doing an excellent job of getting students real-life, workforce experiences, particularly through internships. He noted that one of the college’s biggest challenges is the reality that the demographics are changing. As a result, there are fewer students for institutions to compete for. “There are real opportunities PA G E 4

for the college because Mt. Hood has a lower tuition entry point and more of an invitation to education across the age spectrum.”

Dana Stroud: Stroud is currently an administrator for the Oregon Medication Association and a graduate student at Capella University, studying marriage and family therapy.

She said she is running for the Board seat because she believes in the power of education to transform lives and communities. Her main campaign focus, she said, is on three main areas: affordability, accessibility, and accountability. She supports initiatives that make college more affordable, such as providing more financial aid and scholarships and increasing access to affordable textbooks and technology.

With experience in diversity, equity and

An economist by trade who attended Mt. Hood himself, Speer looks forward to improving the student and faculty culture and “meeting students where they’re at,” he

Andrew Speer Image sourced from web

said. “The next four years are an opportunity to increase transparency and engagement with other members and colleagues.”

He said some of the top challenges facing MHCC include state funding and the college’s overall finances, while there is great opportunity to work on strategic planning regarding workforce training and tailoring current programs and offerings to ensure the college is meeting future needs.

Dana Stroud Image sourced from web

inclusion efforts, she said she is committed to making MHCC more accessible. She supports expanding online education options, increasing outreach to underrepresented groups, and creating partnerships with local businesses and organizations to provide students with real-world experience and job opportunities.

Climate change is also a significant focus of her campaign. She hopes to focus on reducing the college’s climate footprint, promoting sustainable practices, and creating a more environmentally conscious campus culture, she said.

Stroud also said promoting transparency and accountability in college budget decisions would be important in serving the Board.

Zone 3 (Parkrose/Northeast Portland): Andrew Speer, incumbent (unopposed) Speer is the current chair of the Board of Educators at Mt. Hood Community College.

With his uncontested race for the Zone 3 seat, he seeks to implement those visions in his next four-year term.

One of Noriega’s primary goals is to ensure that Mt. Hood “remains affordable and accessible to everyone who wants to pursue their dreams through education,” she said.

She also has pushed for creating an inclusive campus environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. “I believe that diversity is our strength. It’s important that we create a campus environment where everyone feels welcomed, respected, and valued,” she said.

Zone 7 (at-large): ShaToyia Bentley, incumbent (unopposed) Bentley was appointed to the Board in late 2022 to a short, five-month term for departing member LaVerne Lewis.

She is an MHCC graduate with an associate’s degree in business management, with a focus on working with small business, nonprofits, and governments over the past decade.

Zone 6 (at-large): Diane Noriega, incumbent (unopposed) Noriega is seeking re-election in an uncontested race for a third term on the Board (she previously served from 2011 to 2015, then rejoined the Board in 2019).

With her education work background, she said she is dedicated to ensuring that MHCC continues to provide high-quality education to its students.

ShaToyia Bentley Image sourced from web

She is executive director of The Ebony Collective Community Development Corp., a nonprofit aimed at building workforce and life skills preparedness, developing leadership and promoting unity in Portland metro Black communities.

Diane Noriega Image sourced from web

ELECTIONS

APRIL 28, 2023

WHAT IS THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT? How to get involved...

for the 2023-24 leadership roles: Wednesday, May 10: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Candidate meet & greet in the Student Union Tuesday, May 16: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Candidate meet & greet in the Student Union May 22-29: Online voting by Mt. Hood students takes place May 30: Noon – Election results announcement in the Student Union

Andrew Hull The Advocate

Student Life – organizations that consist of, and support, students – is a significant part of any college campus.

As part of this, a student government ensures that the college administration hears students’ voices and interests. Here at Mt. Hood, the Associated Student Government at MHCC (known as the Associated Students of MHCC, or ASMHCC) also organizes student-led clubs, events, and activities.

Each year a president and vice president are chosen to oversee the student government.

This annual election is open to any Mt. Hood student taking six or more credits per term with a GPA of 2.5 or above. That election cycle heads towards its conclusion in May. While the elected positions atop the student government are open to all students, the

time commitments required are rather strenuous.

Required are two-to-five hours a week during the summer, for both the president and vice president. During Fall, Winter, and Spring terms, 20 hours of time is required for the president, and 15 hours for the VP. While these elected positions require an extensive year-round time commitment, their impacts on the college and student life may be

tremendous.

As ASMHCC president or VP, those elected become the main liaison between the college administration and the associated student group. This would include working on strategic planning, leading special committees, overseeing ASG funding, and attending Mt. Hood’s District Board of Education meetings.

Here are upcoming important dates for students to learn about this year’s candidates

Many other appointed ASMHCC positions are available that do not require election by fellow students. Among them are the Campus Affairs Representative, responsible for addressing student needs for on-campus services and resources, and the Financial Affairs Representative, overseeing the annual student fee process. For more details, see: https://mhcc. edu/asg/

COLUMN:

ASMHCC’S LACK OF CANDIDATES The pitfalls of ASG from a student’s perspective Kane Finders The Advocate

As a college student, I have a lot on my plate. I need to go to class and do homework for 16 credits’ worth of classes, go to work to pay for those classes, and take care of myself.

The way the Associated Students of Mt. Hood Community College (ASMHCC, the college’s student body government) is operated, I would never be able to participate in many of its positions due to the current requirements.

As you will see, the time commitment is more than I and many other students would be able to fulfill. Along with this, compensation for the position is low compared to other jobs on and around campus. And I believe these obstacles are why ASMHCC is having a hard time finding candidates for president and vice president this spring.

In fact, when “meet & greet” sessions were hosted in April, only one candidate had applied to run for the vice president position – period.

What’s more, this school year’s elected president, Cheyenne Winchell, told the Advocate the job could not keep her afloat, one reason she chose to withdraw from Mt. Hood earlier this year.

Let’s dive into why the time commitment is too much. According to the ASMHCC handbook, the baseline required for the president is 20 hours a week. However, there are so many other required duties for the president I feel as though that time would easily spill past

20 hours.

The minimum number of enrolled college credits to apply for ASMHCC service is six.

Let’s presume that for each credit, a student has two hours of homework to go along with it. That gives us 18 hours of schoolwork per

“THE TIME COMMITMENT AND COMPENSATION JUST AREN’T FEASIBLE FOR THE AVERAGE STUDENT” week (minimum – counting class time). Now let’s add 20 hours for participating as president – and we are at 38 hours a week, almost a fulltime job.

The larger problem is that a lot of us at Mt. Hood don’t take just six credits; many of us take 12 to 16 credits. That is how it’s a significant burden to have to spend that much time on ASMHCC. Then, there is the problem of compensation, which plagues all layers of ASMHCC. The president during the Summer Term will receive a $600 stipend for two-to-five hours a week of work. During the Fall, Winter, and Spring terms, the president receives a $600 stipend per term, along with tuition waivers and textbook assistance.

While this is may seem like a lot of money, compared to other on-campus and off-campus

jobs available, it is way less. If I worked for 20 hours a week for 10 weeks elsewhere, I could likely make around $3,600, whereas if I were taking 12 credits (at $141.50 per credit), the MHCC tuition waiver and stipend would only add up to $2,298.

This isn’t enough compensation for the type of work ASMHCC elected officers are doing. The remaining student government positions offer less compensation, as they have lesser time commitments: Appointed representatives and coordinators receive only tuition waiver and textbook assistance, while the vice president earns a $400 stipend on top of that.

This leads me to conclude why ASMHCC can’t attract candidates for their top positions: The time commitment and compensation just aren’t feasible for the average student.

While there is definitely an argument the college isn’t looking for the “average student,” it is looking for a candidate who truly wants to serve their college community despite these barriers. I would say that these student

government officers still aren’t compensated fairly, even if they have the time available.

Along with education costs, many students at Mt. Hood have outside bills to pay and needs to meet. Even if they wanted to participate as a member of the ASMHCC, the money isn’t enough to lure them away from other jobs.

To fix this, ASMHCC needs to increase compensation on par with other part-time jobs in our area and decrease the time commitment in order to really open the service opportunities to more people.

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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT

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

HIGH SCHOOL ART INSPIRES Lindsay Leeman The Advocate

I walked into the Visual Arts Gallery at MHCC on April 13. I was there to check out the annual High School Artists exhibit, featuring regional high school students’ work. And when I turned the corner, I was in awe of every single art piece displayed in the exhibit. Even if I didn’t understand what every piece was saying I felt the emotion, whether it be sadness, happiness. Anger, or loneliness. I felt all of it.

These sculptures, paintings, drawings, pictures, were all so individualistic. They were all saying their own thing. They all meant something different to every person who walked by. During the time I spent in the Gallery I could see the pieces light up everyone in the room, especially the parents of the artists. It makes me tear up just typing this out. Looking at the parents, you could see the pride in their faces.

I asked a couple of the artists to share some of their inspiration for their pieces.

One piece that really spoke to me was one called “The Dawn,” created by Megan Maroon of Sam Barlow High School.

Maroon described her inspiration: “I have always loved being creative as a kid.

Art always brings joy to my heart,” she said.

“I love this painting because of the beautiful light.”

Her painting is of the ocean. It is absolutely beautiful, the darkness that goes to light and the crashing waves of the ocean.

I could have stared at it forever. The piece got an honorable mention award in the exhibit.

Another artwork that was really inspiring was done by McKenna Ryan Reynolds High School. Her piece, “Back Pain,” is the spine of a skeleton. Her inspiration: “I have scoliosis. I constantly struggle with back pain. I wanted to add color, warmth, happiness, and beauty even if I didn’t choose it,” she said. The piece resonated a lot with me for many reasons and I’m sure it did with a lot of other people, too. It is an amazing piece.

A mixed media piece earned Best in Show: “The Ukranian Boy.” This was by far the most emotionally impacting art piece I have ever seen. There wasn’t much on the canvas, but it spoke volumes about what people are going though in Ukraine. It’s absolutely horrible there, and this piece captures all of it.

Colin Givens from Sandy High School explained how he was inspired to. create the work.

“I mixed my Photos by Lindsay Leeman

REVIEW

‘AIR’ SLAM DUNK OR AIR BALL? Wes Jensen empathy with the people of Ukraine with my cousin’s courage to go there to take photos. The boy in my art is (from) a picture he took,” he said.

It is truly beautiful what people can come up with in good times or in bad – it shows others that beauty can still be made from ashes. It’s amazing.

Jennifer Gillia-Cutshall, the MHCC Gallery coordinator, agrees: “It is interesting that there is so much passion and (these young artists) all have such a deep connection to their pieces,” she said. “Especially for their age group, it’s phenomenal.”

This art show is amazing, and I am so grateful I got the chance to go take photos of the artists and their pieces.

The high school exhibit is open to anyone, free of charge, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday, April 28.

MHCC’S JAZZ FESTIVAL IS ON Lindsay Leeman The Advocate

From the 1920s to the 1940s, jazz music arguably was the most played genre in the United States. Since then, it has gotten somewhat lost between the folds of newer and more common music of the generations that have come since.

However, Mt. Hood has done an incredible job keeping the jazz culture alive, with its strong student jazz band history and the jazz focus of affiliated radio station KMHD-FM. And never more is this the case than every spring, when MHCC hosts its three-day Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, which comes again May 5-7 to the Gresham college campus, along with a few offcampus locations.

Originating in 1982, the Festival grew quickly as a major event and would PA G E 6

have up to 30,000 attendees some years.

The numbers have gone down since due to COVID and other factors, but that doesn’t take away from the amazing and well-established artists who will perform.

One featured performer is Ignacio Berroa, recognized as one of the greatest jazz drummers of our time. His Ignacio Berroa Trio will play in the College Theatre at 7 p.m. on Friday, the opening day.

At 5 p.m. on Friday, the Esthesis Quartet will perform its unique style in the Yoshida Events Center (gymnasium).

That’s only a small sample of the scheduled performances – everything from visiting high school jazz bands, Mt. Hood’s own talented student jazz ensembles, to other amazing, recognized professional artists.

For more details, see: https://www. mhcc.edu/Mt-Hood-Jazz-Festival/

web photo

The Ignacio Berroa Trio will play in the College Theatre at 7 p.m. on Friday, the opening day of the Jazz Festival.

The Advocate I kind of had high demands for this movie: As a person who has more than five pairs of Jordans in their closet, you can probably call me a fan.

So going into a viewing of “Air,” I kind of thought I was going to watch “Good Will Hunting” but with Michael Jordan in it – and I was pleasantly surprised. Not to say ‘Hunting’ isn’t a good movie, because it is.

I thought this new movie featuring the same Matt Damon-Ben Affleck pairing did a pretty good job telling the story as truthfully as they could, showing Jordan’s mother’s major role (Viola Davis plays her) in getting the basketball superstar to sign with Nike. Damon played his starring role excellently (as the Nike brand manager desperate to sign Jordan), and Chris Tucker was great and funny as always as a Nike management colleague.

My one problem with is movie is Affleck’s portrayal of Phil Knight, the CEO and founder of Nike, the Beaverton shoe giant. I thought the portrayal made him way too dorky.

However, to be fair, while I don’t like Affleck very much as an actor, I do think he did a good job directing this movie.

If you’re going to the theater to watch Michael Jordan dunk on people, this is probably not the movie for you. But if you really want to learn some of the intricacies that went into creating his, and Nike’s, first signature shoe that revolutionized all basketball shoes and just the way that we looked at a star athlete, then you would probably enjoy the film. movies that i found simler to “Air” are “The Big Short,” “Moneyball,” “Hustle,” “Jerry Maguire.” if you enjoyed , then I would recameind to see “Air”.

FEATURE

APRIL 28, 2023

ASL BUILDS BRIDGE TO DEAF COMMUNITY Sabrina Kuhlmann The Advocate

“I grew up in the hearing world, even though I’m profoundly deaf,” Patty Martin, an ASL teacher at Mt. Hood explains. At age 19, she started learning Amercian Sign Language, hoping that she could teach it to deaf children. That decision would prove to change her life.

“For me, it was a ‘Deafness journey,” she says (with a stress on the capital D, explained below).

This journey to find herself as a Deaf woman is one that most people may not even think about.

To many people, ASL is known as the Deaf Man’s Language. Some people may see a person signing in public and automatically raise their voice, as if that will somehow make a person less deaf.

When (as reported prior to the COVID pandemic) less than 1% of Deaf or hard-of-hearing persons (taken as a whole) know or use ASL, it is understandable that few others would try to learn the language, either.

However, Peggy Norton, another ASL teacher at MHCC, was fascinated by the language. She grew up with deaf relatives living nearby: Her uncle, aunt and cousin are deaf and were close to her family during her childhood. As a young girl, she was exposed to ASL often.

“My uncle and aunt were what’s called ‘Big D’ Deaf,” Norton explains, referring to the term for deaf people who embrace their deafness shamelessly. “I was always pretty mesmerized by [ASL]; it was pretty normalized for me, and I could learn things. There was no stigma.”

At Mt. Hood, Martin and Norton, two women with such vastly different backgrounds (yet notably similar names), joined together to lead the college’s ASL Club. Unfortunately, that club has fallen short of members, and current ASL classes are losing numbers, too.

That’s concerning for the pair, for whom teaching ASL is a passion and something both have described as their calling.

A TRUE COMMUNITY The biggest lesson in any ASL class is that ASL is not specifically

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Photo by Sabrina Kuhlmann

Mt. Hood American Sign Language instructors Peggy Norton, left. and Patty Martin sign “I love you.”

“EACH SIGN IS MADE UP OF FIVE MAIN COMPONENTS: HANDSHAPE, PALM ORIENTATION, MOVEMENT, LOCATION, AND NON-MANUAL MARKERS... THE MOST IMPORTANT ARE CUES GIVEN THAT DO NOT USE THE HANDS. FACIAL EXPRESSION, BODY LANGUAGE, AND EVEN LIP MOVEMENT IS VITAL IN ASL.” for the Deaf, just as Spanish is not just specifically for (native) Spanish-speaking persons. ASL is for everyone, hearing or Deaf.

“It’s so important that we can communicate,” said Norton says.

“There’s a language barrier, like if you’re speaking Spanish, and most people feel a little awkward because they can’t communicate clearly or understand each other.” People can learn the language regardless of their hearing status.

Norton tells a story where she was at the Portland Saturday Market and witnessed two people signing, wondering where the market had been moved to. After signing

instructions to them on how to get there and receiving thanks, the two went on their way. “They didn’t even ask me if I was Deaf; it was just natural conversation,” she recalls.

Martin has similar experience.

She often will go up to strangers she sees signing and strike up conversation. People will ask her if she knows them, but in her eyes, she doesn’t need to: “Same language, same family,” she says.

But the question many students might ask is, “Why should I take the time to learn ASL?” Both instructors have found that while a majority of their MHCC students started taking ASL after

meeting a Deaf friend or neighbor, than the second most common reason is that it is a visual language, and therefore easier to pick up for many with visual learning styles.

“A majority of our class succeeds and really love having this visual language,” says Norton.

VISUAL CUES ARE CRITICAL And a visual language it is, too, in ways far beyond hand signals.

Each sign is made up of five main components: handshape, palm orientation, movement, location, and non-manual markers. Arguably the most important component

is the non-manual markers, or cues given in ASL that do not use the hands. Facial expression, body language, and even lip movement is vital in ASL. Many people who learn ASL through online methods don’t get proper training on proper nonmanual markings. Tone is often displayed through facial and body gestures, even outside of ASL. For example, someone signing “I can’t wait for class today,” with a sour look on their face will be saying something completely different than someone signing the same thing with a smile on their face.

Without taking a full two-year sequence of the language, it would be hard to really nail down, but the hardest part with ASL sometimes is staying in practice. That helps make the ASL Club the perfect place to go for ASL learners, whether they’ve taken just the one term or are in their second year, or even for those interested in the language who haven’t taken the class yet.

Students can hang out with other people who sign and make friends, find people to practice with, and even find people to help tutor them if still struggling to grasp the language.

“My vision is, to help support the ASL classes, and I would love to see people who know sign just come in to talk,” says Martin. “I want to promote signing as a culture and language.”

The MHCC ASL Club has hopes to arrange all sorts of activities, including movie nights, bowling, game nights, and just hanging out and enjoy a common community.

The club meets every other Wednesday, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., in Room 1251. If you are interested in joining the ASL Club, please email asl@mhcc.edu, or Patty Martin directly at martinpa@mhcc.edu.

THE MHCC ASL CLUB MEETS EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY, FROM 2:30 TO 4 P.M., IN ROOM 1251.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING, EMAIL ASL@MHCC.EDU, OR PATTY MARTIN DIRECTLY AT MARTINPA@MHCC.EDU.

NEWS

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

OREGON COULD SEE SELF-SERVICE PUMPS Andrew Hull The Advocate

Pumping your own gasoline is commonplace in all but two U.S. states: Oregon and New Jersey.

And ever since 1951, when the Oregon Legislature passed a bill prohibiting vehicle operators from using self-service pumps, there has been a growing debate about whether Oregonians should be allowed to pump their own gas. The chance that ban could soon be dropped is looking strong, however.

Initially state lawmakers restricted self-service at gas stations because of the potential safety hazards of untrained persons pumping gas, the environmental concern over gasoline spills, and the difficulty for some persons, such as senior citizens, to pump gas. Now, as technology has reduced the number of fuel spills and the ease of using gas pumps, a large number of Oregon legislators appear ready to lift restrictions. House Bill 2426 was recently approved in Salem by a vote of 47 to 10, and now sits in the Senate for consideration.

If adopted, the law could impact many people’s daily lives.

If this bill becomes the law, Oregon gas stations could designate up to half of their pumps as self-service, while in the 16 most populous counties they must continue to have at least one gas attendant on duty per gas station to serve customers who want, or need, full service.

Stations would be required to charge customers the same price for either option.

As of late April, bill has not yet been addressed in the Senate. The Oregon Senate staff analysis states this bill will have little to no economic impact on Oregon businesses and citizens. It also predicts no impact on the state budget.

As for allowing self-service, some legislators and activists remain concerned about the number

of fuel attendant jobs that may disappear because of this bill. Meantime, station owners complain they can’t find enough employees to fill those positions.

Some motorists believe that having a fuel attendant pump gas for them is a lifesaver, and they appreciate not getting out of the car on a cold and windy day to pump gas. On the opposite side are motorists who believe being able to pump their own gas means not having to wait for a pump attendant and saving time by just doing it themselves.

Overall, opinions can vary widely on this issue (recent public opinion polls in Oregon seem to show support for the change). That’s why the Advocate encourages readers to participate in our short, three-four question survey: We want to hear what you have to say about the idea of pumping your own gas.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SELF-SERVICE PUMPS? TAKE OUR SURVEY:

Washington residents are no strangers to self-service.

Photo by Wes Jensen

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