The Advocate, Issue 31 - June 7, 2019

Volume 53, Issue 31 JUNE 7, 2019 advocate-online.net

Letter from the editor PAGE 2

Survivng finals week PAGE 4

Jazz band highlights PAGE 5

Lisa Skari's first year PAGE 7

SOCCER CITY GETS ITS KICKS PAGE 6

Things to do in Gresham this summer PAGE 10

FOLLOW US ON SPOTIFY SCAN FOR PLAYLIST

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2019 FIRST PLACE

General excellence

Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism

OPINION

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

JOINING THE ADVOCATE SAVED MY LIFE

Megan Phelps the advocate

In the fall of 2016, I walked into the Career Counseling Center in desperate need of help. I was at one of the lowest points in my life, and needed some guidance. Thankfully, a counselor pointed me to the Advocate, and I honestly believe it’s what saved my life in more ways than one.

Living with depression is complicated. You can have some days filled with laughter, happiness, and love; most days can seem unending, bleak, and sorrowful. Looking back I was pretty despondent, but I’m thankful to have sought the help I needed in order to try something new and combat my poor mental habits. Being of a part of a team was just what I needed. Joining the Advocate led me to a group of talented, passionate, kind-hearted people I would come to know as life-long friends.

With each passing year I became more fond of Mt. Hood Community College. During my time on staff I was able to talk with artists, instructors, staff,

community members, and fellow students. The newspaper made me realize every person has a story to tell and at least one reason why they press on.

I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to work for this paper. After three years I am leaving with a massive amount of experience and passion I didn’t have before. I would like to thank our advisers, Dan Ernst and Howard Buck, for their kind, patient, and extremely helpful guidance along the way. Without their assistance our paper would be lost.

Additionally, I’d like to thank Cassie Wilson, associate editor and news editor. She is the most dedicated, hard-working person I know. She provides excellent work and a positive attitude that encourages those around her to be better personally and professionally.

The same goes for our other associate editor, and photo editor, Fletcher Wold. He is an amazingly talented person, with a kind heart and a patient, fun-loving personality. Thank you for helping me when I panicked about camera settings (almost every time I went to cover something) and encouraging me to learn and develop my abilities behind the camera.

This year our paper started with just four people and grew to a staff of over 20 as the year went by.

Some staff came and went but their contributions are still appreciated and admired.

To be quite honest, I never thought I would be editor-in-chief.

I never believed that I could be a

leader to over 20 people, but my fellow staff and helpful advisers saw something inside of me that my depression didn’t allow me to see.

I cannot thank them enough for their encouragement, dedication, and shared passion of informing the students and staff here at the college. Without their efforts, our paper would not have been possible. Additionally, to all those that passed along information for our reporting, I thank you for your contribution.

That being said, I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished this year. We not only placed in two different student journalism contests, we also produced indepth investigative stories. These required public records requests, extensive interviews, and a crap ton of hard work.

If you have been an avid reader, you already know we produced extensive coverage of the decision regarding the college’s FM radio station, KMHD (89.1). We even hosted (partnering with the Associated Student Government) a community forum to inform the public of the pending decision, something our advisers noted the Advocate hasn’t done in more than a decade.

On top of that, we compiled results from multiple online surveys throughout the year, pertaining to different topics. This also had not been done before (at least not that I’m aware)! This allowed us to gain input from students, staff, and faculty about how they think the college could

improve. And in the big picture, when we share our concerns and work towards improvement, we all win.

If I were to tell you one thing, it’s to remind you that what you have to offer is valid, needed, and

important to any progress moving forward. Our community and our country need to come together and work toward a brighter future. If you feel the need to speak up or ask for help, go for it. You never know where you might end up.

Advisers

Dan Ernst Howard Buck

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF MHCC Editor-in-Chief Megan Phelps

Opinion Editor Position Open

Associate Editor/ Photo Editor Fletcher Wold

Graphic Design Editor Eli Rankin

Associate Editor/ News Editor Cassie Wilson

Radio Producer Naethaniel Lile

Arts & Entertainment Editor Chloe Collins Sports Editor Position Open PA G E 2

Graphic Design Team Angeles Ramirez Leydi Perez Carrasco Svetlana Meshcheryakova

Photo Team Bethy Fallgren Maysee Thao Zarah Escutia Copy Editors Hannah Meisenhelder Positions Open Web Editors Positions Open Ad Manager Darcy Hitchcock

Staff Writers Benjamin Anctil Austin Asciutto Chris Barney Corwin Benedict Julia Empleo Sadie Klein Kurt Larson Anna Riggs Jennifer Salazar Omar Saradi

Social Media Manager Kaleb Moring Distribution Specialist Julia MacDonald

@mhccadvocate

@theadvocateonline

@mhccadvocate

OPINION

JUNE 7, 2019

PROUD TO GRADUATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE coverage, so I sought out student work opportunities.

With an interest in writing and journalism and a need to pay for school, I found the Advocate. I knew it would help me financially through school, but it has done so much more for me than I could’ve expected when I first entered the newsroom in the fall of 2017.

I started as a staff writer covering arts and entertainment, then quickly became co-editor of the section as well as social media manager for the rest of the 201718 school year. I gradually became more involved and started really enjoying the page layout part of our production process.

The Advocate became my second home.

Going into this school year, I knew I wanted to do something outside my comfort zone, so I asked to be news editor, after much of our former staff graduated. I also earned the title of associate editor, with the absolute pleasure of helping Megan Phelps, our editor-in-chief this year.

Right off the bat, one of the first things I did was interview Lisa Skari, our new college president, something I would not have fathomed a year prior, as I was just getting my footing in the world of interviewing. Now, interviewing is one of my favorite things. I even started a podcast with my friend where we interview guests because I love it so much, and having access to the KMHD2 studio made that even easier.

After a couple pretty normal first weeks of the school year, I dove headfirst into learning everything there is to know about the college’s FM radio station, KMHD, and its

Cassie Wilson the advocate

Attending community college is one of the best decisions I’ve made. My time at MHCC has been nothing like what I expected it to be, but in all of the best ways.

My first year at Mt. Hood, starting the fall of 2016 after I graduated high school, was a whirlwind of setbacks. After a very normal first term, I had surgery.

This resulted in a two-week hospital stay at the beginning of Winter Term 2017, and me dropping out to take care of my health. It was the first time I wasn’t in school since I was an infant.

My Oregon Promise grant was essentially taken away from me due to dropping out, and I thought I’d never be able to return to college.

It felt like my future was pulled out from under me. Then, a waiver system for the grant was finally created for those who had to drop a term due to health reasons, and I was back on track.

That said, by the end of my first year at MHCC I had used up almost all of my grant because I came into college with 41 dual credits from high school. I was already reaching the grant’s maximum credit

The Advocate 2018-19 staff celebrating after the Oregon Newspapers Publishers Association Collegiate day in Albany, OR.

partnership with OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting). I ended up writing an eight-part series and interviewed more sources than ever before, including OPB President and CEO Steve Bass, when Megan and I were given a tour of the KMHD studios in the OPB building. Megan and I ended up winning a first-place award from the Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators for our coverage.

I never thought that I’d experience investigative journalism as a student reporter, but it made me love what we do even more.

I always knew it was a privilege to be part of a student newspaper – the independent student voice on campus – but this school year has really shown just how important our role is in informing students, staff, faculty, and the MHCC community at large about things happening at board meetings and on the administrative level. We’ve

Cover by: Fletcher Wold / the Advocate

also gotten to editorialize on topics directly related to campus, such as the KMHD partnership and food options on campus.

Being part of the Advocate has given me a sense of community, both in the newsroom and beyond. It’s given me a support system every time I hit a rough patch, which could’ve resulted differently without this more deeply developed connection to the college. I’ve learned how to talk to people, met people I otherwise wouldn’t have, discovered my love for communications and graphic design, and found that working in academics someday might not be a bad idea.

This year I also got the opportunity to join the Accessibility Taskforce to improve the environment for individuals with disabilities on campus. It felt nice to have a direct way to affect change on campus in a matter that has directly impacted me in my time here.

GET TO KNOW THE ADVOCATE

On the cover: Portland Thorns midfielder Midge Purce (top) and Timbers midfielder Cristhian Paredes celebrate their team’s first home goals of the 2019 season on June 1-2.

Contact us!

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

I also started attending Saints baseball and softball games late this spring and realized I love the two sports, something I never would have known if I didn’t want to learn how to potentially report on sports some day.

Overall, my experience at Mt. Hood has aided me on my journey of self-discovery, in more ways than I could ever count. I’m now more likely to get a bachelor’s, and even a master’s, degree than I ever would’ve thought when I started here three years ago.

MHCC helped me realize my potential, and for that I will always be proud to have attended community college.

While I could end on a really deep note, I’d like to use my voice one last time to say that I wish we lived in a world where the cafeteria could serve breakfast during all of its open hours. Huge, affordable veggie omelettes? You have my heart.

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.

Writer

Austin Asciutto will be a full-time first-year student at MHCC next year, taking just one class currently. An aspiring screenwriter-filmmaker, he will enter Integrated Media video program next year. He is very excited to start learning full-time, and enjoys writing, reading, and of course, watching movies. His main goal is to “blow up, and then act like I dont know nobody.”

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NEWS

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

FINALS SURVIVAL GUIDE Omar Saradi the advocate

THE ADVOCATE NEWS

It’s getting to the last week of the term: On top of all of the homework you’re currently doing, you need to study for that final test that’s an accumulation of the past two-anda-half months. In the worst-case scenario that you’ve completely procrastinated using any of the study materials for a class, you’re actually not alone, believe it or not.

It’s easy to lose hope when you think about how the general number of hours (or days) left are outweighed by the amount of time you should be taking to study.

But, coming from someone in the position of getting thrown into the college habits straight out of high school, understand: the solutions are easier than we all like to think.

Unless you indisputably know your material 100% (doubtful), take advantage of everything and everyone around you – on campus, or off. Studying is a group effort,

through-and-through. Don’t worry about having to get to know people, or talking to the people you’ve brushed off to the side all term.

Chances are, they are thinking the exact same thing before that last class session.

The great thing about a college campus is that it’s prepared for all of this: There’s a big library, office hours, tutoring center – and of course, a café. You can go the route of studying by yourself, but at some point you might have to call over a librarian or send some emails, or you can sometimes make the mistake of doing everything in a wrong or false way because you had no one to guide you.

It’s simple things that can go a long way. Realistically, you’re going to receive some help; go about it the right way, by arranging an office visit with your instructor ahead of time!

Time is relative. It’s probably the most worrying part of managing your study habits. Go with the flow, don’t fight an uphill battle with

time, because it’s exhausting. Give yourself some rest. It seems logical to pull an all-nighter but ONLY do that if it’s the last option – even then, you’re treading dangerous territory. Sleep, and your dietary well-being, are more important to the process of studying than you think. You’ll definitely regret staying up till four in the morning, feasting on Taco Bell and candy, and you’ll probably spend a good portion of that morning in the bathroom (for whatever reason) instead of studying or even getting ready for class.

Last of all, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. We are all guilty of it in any situation, but there have been so many times that I’ve procrastinated and immediately regretted it. Don’t make school the thing you consciously procrastinate in. Get started on studying early, and don’t finish until you’re fully satisfied with the material. Get together with peers and classmates and discuss everything till everyone is satisfied.

UPDATES FROM THE ACCESSIBLILITY TASKFORCE Opening the doors to accessibility at MHCC From the MHCC Accessibility Taskforce Physical accessibility at MHCC has been a work in progress, but we’re excited to say that progress is indeed taking place, with multiple power doors to be installed over the summer!

Already this year, the Visual Arts Gallery and the VA Theatre have been made ADA-accessible, and the campus Accessibility Task Force has collaborated with Health and Physical Education to make sure the Mt. Hood stadium bleachers are made accessible and include railings for individuals to use along the stairs.

Power doors are being installed in the following places: Entries to 2557 and 2660 on the Academic Center spine to allow more accessible entrances to departments, beyond Instructional Services and Allied Health, which are at the far ends of the department offices; 2731 at the Dental Clinic, a high impact area as it serves the (greater) community; 2300 at the Library, to PA G E 4

finish accessible entrances and exits to the Library, with this device being placed at the main entrance from outside into the lobby; 1109 into the hallway next to Cosmetology (the MHCC salon) because there are ADA restrooms in that hallway, but have been no accessible entrances to get to them; Industrial Technology Building 18 main entry door, and the IT18 hallway to IT30.

We’d like to extend thanks to Doug Schleichert and Eric Manarang for their facilitation on moving this project forward from the Accessibility Taskforce. The work should be completed over summer.

As we continue to make improvements across campus in terms of physical accessibility, we’d like to end the year with a few friendly reminders as we work against ableism. These are some things that anyone can remember and be conscious of in their daily life.

Accessibility features can be looked at as convenient by those who do not require them, but are absolutely necessary for

individuals with disabilities. Please be considerate and avoid using accessible restroom stalls, unless it’s necessary for you. Same goes for accessible drop-off zones and parking.

It’s easy to think, “I’ll just be a minute. What are the chances someone will need to use this while I’m using it?” However, MHCC serves a NUMBER of students with documented disabilities, as well as many people from the broader community, including those with disabilities.

It’s tempting to use the bigger stalls or the closer parking, but just remember that not everyone has a choice when it comes to utilizing these features, and many people truly NEED these accommodations.

Lastly, we’d like to thank everyone on the Accessibility Taskforce for their commitment and work this year, as well as the Student Services Leadership Team and Infrastructure and Access and Diversity Council for their ongoing support of work to make Mt. Hood more accessible.

Members of the Taskforce are

Photo by Megan Phelps / the Advocate

ongoing, consistent advocates for this work, and they are: Parrish Chang, student; Cassie Wilson, student; Tristan Price, electronic and IT accessibility coordinator; Kim Hyatt, Dean of HPE, Athletics, Aquatics, and Recreation; Nicci Harwood, TRIO adviser, Student Support Services; Samantha PiersVanderPloeg, student success specialist, High School Services; Eric Manarang, manager of custodial services, Facilities; Taylor Reed, advising services specialist; Ellen Garcia, nursing instructor;

Valory Thatcher, science, anatomy, and physiology instructor; Doug Schleichert, project coordinator, Facilities; Bhaktirose Dawdy, workforce development specialist, coordinator; Troy Builta, building information specialist, Facilities; Kelsie O’Dea, assistive technology specialist, Accessible Education Services; Kenia Perez-Correa, student success specialist, Industrial Tech and Apprenticeship; Edie Overturf, instructor, Visual Arts; Kevin Lambert, music and choral director, Performing Arts.

NEWS | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

JUNE 7, 2019

POTTY PROGRESS Chris Barney the advocate

Most people would agree that privacy is a factor of great importance when using the restroom. Things that aren’t normally exposed are exposed and, because of privacy, security cameras can’t be implemented as a means to help keep people safe while in a public restroom.

Rho Theta, MHCC’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, took notice of this issue and began a project to correct it last year. This project was dubbed “The Potty Project.” Its purpose was to raise funds to create singleuser restrooms on campus.

The chapter carried this out by raising awareness of the issues people face with public restrooms, whether it be gender issues, having an opposite-sex care provider, or just not feeling safe. Over the past year, the focus of the project has been on what students felt was needed regarding restrooms on campus. Several times, Rho Theta has held a table outside the restrooms in the Main Mall (displays of Rho Theta’s Golden Toilet included) to help publicize their effort.

Of course, as with most projects, there are challenges to

accomplishing the end goal. In this case, the main problem is that creating single-user restrooms is too costly. In light of this, the current goal is to convert the women’s restroom near the cosmetology salon, off the Main Mall courtyard, into an all-user restroom.

Rho Theta is working with Dave Pontious, a chair of the MHCC Access and Diversity Council, to purchase and install taller, “non-gap” stall partitions in this restroom. The biggest clog in the drain is that these partitions cost roughly $5,000. To plunge this blockage, the student group plans to between $10,000 and $15,000.

Formal fundraising hasn’t begun yet, since officials are still estimating costs. Initial planing, back in 2012, for a fully new restroom put the cost at $50,000.

Some proceeds will be raised shortly, however, since Nancy’s Floral will donate all proceeds of commencement day flower sales on the Mt. Hood campus on June 15. Flowers may be purchased with cash or check.

If all goes as planned, this alluser restroom would be up and running by December – perhaps as Rho Theta’s Christmas present to MHCC, and students, staff and visitors here.

WRITE A CURIOUS LIFE Sadie Klein

the advocate To wrap up the last Mouths Of Others guest speaker presentation of the year, Diana Kirk spoke to MHCC staff, students and community members on May 29.

She’s an Astoria-based writer with strong opinions, sass and drive, known for her autobiography “Licking Flames: Tales of a HalfAssed Hussy,” from which she read passages to the audience in the Visual Arts Theatre.

Kirk doesn’t believe herself to be a great writer, she said, but noted the key to her success.

“The core is curiosity – a writer needs to be curious,” she said. She describes storytelling as more important than writing, and loves to tell a good story. Writing is only one of her pastimes; she owns a bar in Astoria, and is a real estate investor.

Kirk explained that oftentimes when writing fiction, she characterizes individuals she has met, taking a closer look at the people in her life and how fascinating they can be if enough attention is paid to them.

“I’m curious about everyone” she states. Her advice to would-be

Photo by Bethy Fallgren / the Advocate

Diana Kirk at the Mouths of Othrs event held May, 29.

writers: “Live a really big life, meet people from all different walks of life and learn how they live, talk, and move – study them.”

Kirk said that publishing is a game, and a business. And as the businesswoman that she is, this process was challenging but fun to figure out. She produced her first publication once she returned to the U.S. after spending two months in Thailand. She wrote a 55,000word book in 11 days.

Her autobiography isn’t too long. It keeps a reader engaged, and

those with a short attention span can finish it in a timely manner. Her work is full of provocative language that keeps readers on their toes. Her sons do not read her work, due to its profanity-filled chapters, she added.

If you’d like to find out more, her website is dianakirk.wordpress. com and her autobiography can be found online on Amazon and at the following bookstores: Beach Books in Seaside; Lucy’s Books in Astoria; Powell’s Books in Portland.

Copies are now available in the MHCC Library, as well.

MHCC JAZZ BAND : THE YEAR-END REVIEW Austin Asciutto the advocate

For MHCC’s Jazz Band, this year’s goal was to build a larger repertoire of music and include additional public performances beyond the usual end-of-term concerts.

The band went above and beyond its target this year, according to Dan Davey, MHCC jazz band director. Among its expanded repertoire of music this year, Davey’s favorite piece was an arrangement he wrote of Chick Corea’s tune “Morning Sprite” from the “Acoustic Band” album.

As for the second goal, the jazz band more than followed through. It played at three jazz festivals, shared an event with the Portland Youth Jazz Orchestra, and performed with renown jazz pianist Peter Martin. Mt. Hood’s Jazz Combo 1 performed all around Portland and

Photo by Zarah Escutia / the Advocate

Jazz band performing their end of term concert in the College Theatre on June 5.

the greater Portland area, at venues like The 1905, Al’s Den and Jo Bar, Davey noted.

Additionally, all of the MHCC Jazz Combos performed each term at Spinella’s in Gresham.

Some of the most noteworthy performances this year were at the Northwest Jazz Band Festival and the Oregon State Jazz

Championships. The jazz band performed both events for a packed house of over 500 active listeners.

They also performed as part of the Portland Jazz Festival this year Davey sees this year as one of significant growth for all of MHCC’s ensembles and performing students. In a jazz band setting, there is often only one person

playing each individual part. That puts more responsibility on each student to be present and prepared so the level of the ensemble can improve.

“Our MHCC students performed with a professionalism that I haven’t seen in my four years at the college. I look forward to more in the future,” Davey said.

The Jazz Band also featured many guest artists this year, including Peter Martin, Charlie Porter and Jared Sims. Davey said he’s excited to build on the progress of this year. “We’ll look to bring in many guest artists to work with and inspire our students” next year, he added.

In its last few weeks of rehearsal this term, the overall mood of the two bands could be described as busy, if not hectic.

On Wednesday, June 5, the Spring Term Concert featured not only the jazz band, but also

MHCC’s Symphonic Band, under the direction of Danielle Davey.

The guest artist with the latter was trombonist Joseph Jefferson, visiting from the Southeast Missouri University where he’s the director of jazz studies.

The ensembles are also preparing to perform at the MHCC commencement. The jazz band will perform before the ceremony, and the Symphonic Band will perform during – including the procession, alma mater, and recession.

Davey is still in the process of deciding which pieces will be in the lineup next year. Attending various jazz festivals around the country allows him to meet composers and arrangers and discover new music to bring back to MHCC, he said.

Along with the visiting artists, Mt. Hood musicians can expect plenty of master classes, clinics, and performances in store for 2019-20.

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NEWS | SPORTS

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

STUDENT GOVERNMENT LEADERS PEACE OUT Jennifer Salazar the advocate

Spring Term is nearly over, and the outgoing Associated Student Government president and vice president are happy to share some of the goals their ASG team met and their hopes for next school year.

Bob Hansen, ASG president and Melanie Roberts, vice president, started the 2018-19 school year by making a list of all the things they wanted to iachieve.

One of their main goals was to increase visibility and spread awareness of ASG to all MHCC campuses – Maywood Park, Bruning Center and the Gresham campus. Hansen and Roberts said they believe this goal was truly met.

“We started going more to those campus, bringing posters so they knew what events were happening, and we started working with them to get a (food) pantry started,” Roberts said. The two say they have seen more people understand what ASG does, and have had more students apply to be a member than in previous years.

The team worked on methods to

better listen to MHCC student and staff needs. One event that helped them was Pizza with the President, in which students were able to speak with Mt. Hood President Lisa Skari to share what needed to improve on campus, and what was working well. Hansen said the event helped understanding of the resources students need, and, “if you also measure the relationship that has been built between the president and the college, that has gone up tremendously.”

Pressing for student concerns was another top goal. The team has had many opportunities, one of them last autumn when ASG partnered with the Advocate to get student input on discussions over whether to bring KMHD FM (Mt. Hood’s radio station) back to the main campus.

“I would tell the new team (for 2019-20) to keep advocating for students. We did good this year but we should keep improving to show the (MHCC District) Board of Eeducation how much we really do care,” said Roberts.

A third goal was to address safety issues on campus. The ASG

Photo by Megan Phelps / the Advocate

leaders thanked administrator Fardwosa Duale for her hard work in setting up drills, and creating safety awareness events. “Our safety representative came into her position with a 100-day plan and has really implemented that well,” says Hansen, who has noticed a stronger connection bewteeen ASG and Public Safety.

Next school year, the ASG plans on having a safety evaluation of the whole school and wants all students participating. More information about this will be announced next year.

ASG leaders also worked with Mt. Hood’s Student Outreach and

Recruitment (SOAR) team to expose opportunities, resources, and events at MHCC. “We’ve definitely worked with SOAR more, they now come inside the offices and let us talk to the different groups of tours and we get to explain to them what ASG really does,” Hansen said. “ASG doesn’t only give (participants) tuition waivers, but it’s also an opportunity to fight for student voices.”

One of his biggest achievements, he added, is raising the ASG energy level. He’s seen the excitement of ASG members grow every day and is happy to be a part of a team that contributed to getting

more students excited about ASG. Roberts noticed, too.

“Once we became this second family we knew how to work together, and work harder, and that for me, was one of the biggest achievements I’ve seen,” said Roberts.

Both leaders said they’ve learned many lessons about student leadership, thanking John Hamblin, executive dean of student development, and Doctor Abio Ayeliya, director of Student life and Civic Engagement, for their great support. The two also wish the new ASG leaders, Collin-Kazu Lewis and Chelsea Allison, success.

“Give it your all, you worked hard for it,” said Roberts. “You deserve it; enjoy it, because before you know it, the moment will be over.”

Hansen will graduate on June 15 in Small Business Management, a two-year program. He also will be giving a commencement speech.

Roberts will take some time off ASG next year to focus on school and work on graduating soon. She also will be part of the Advocate team.

TIMBERS FALL IN PROVIDENCE PARK OPENER Julia Empleo the advocate

The Portland Timbers hosted the Los Angeles FC for their long-delayed MLS (Major League Soccer) home opener on Saturday night, June 1, in front of 25,218.

The home team suffered a 3-2 loss to LAFC, but the fans still brought an electrifying atmosphere for the whole 90-plus minutes of the game.

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The Timbers are currently 11th in the Western Conference with the record of 4-7-2. But that’s after playing their first 12 games on the road, waiting for the grand reopening of Providence Park.

The 93-year old stadium had been undergoing an expansion since 2017 and now has 4,000 new seats in a three-level sideline structure for fans.

In their first game coming back home, Timbers were up against the No. 1 team in the conference, with only one lost this season.

The visitors, along with their fans, came out with a lot of energy in the first

half. LAFC was aggressive and outplayed the Timbers defense, leading 2-0 after the first 45 minutes of the game. Portland’s mistakes on defense led to a couple of easy goals.

LAFC forward Carlos Vela took advantage of a lazy pass in the sixth minute from Timbers goalkeeper Jeff Attinella, that produced the opener. In the 34th minute, Diego Rossi scored the second goal of the game when he easily outran Timbers defender Jorge Moreira, who has been struggling on defense this season.

But, the home team bounced back in the second half. The Timbers were more aggressive on offense and kept LAFC’s defense on its toe the whole second half.

Midfielder Cristhian Paredes scored a goal from a rebound in the 46th minute. This first goal for the home team had the stadium crowd on its feet. Still, LAFC took advantage of a letdown in defense by the Timbers, as Latif Blessing scored on a volley in the 54th minute, making it 3-1, Los Angeles.

However, Timbers forward Brian Fernandez contributed in the

Photos by Fletcher Wold / the Advocate

comeback effort with an impressive bicycle kick goal in the 85th minute.

That was as close as Portland would get, though.

Fernandez has now recorded four goals in three games since joining the Timbers this season.

With veterans Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco teaming with Fernandez up front, the Timbers’ offense seems dangerous for any team, when they get in the flow of the game.

When these players build more chemistry, it will be a

hell of a ride for fans to see what they can do for this franchise in the future.

After going at it hard all night, there were altercations between the two teams before the end of the regulation, while some questionable calls that went LAFC’s way affected the Timbers’ momentum late in the game. Fernandez and LAFC’s Adama Diomande were each handed yellow cards, that would be later reviewed by the league for their involvement. With the teams having some heated match-ups in the past, the shoving and poking late in the game Saturday was no surprise.

After a disappointing loss in a home opener for the first time in their MLS history, the Timbers are looking at a three-week break before hosting the Houston Dynamo on June 22. (They do face the rival Seattle Sounders on June 12, in Seattle, in a non-MLS U.S. Open Cup match).

NEWS | SPORTS

JUNE 7, 2019

BUILDING STABILITY AND SYNCHRONICITY Lisa Skari reflects on her first year as college president Cassie Wilson the advocate

Approaching the end of her first year at MHCC, college President Lisa Skari took time to reflect on what she’s learned from students, staff, and faculty, and talked about her ideas for the future of the college, with increased stability and clarity for employees and student success as top priorities.

YEAR IN REVIEW While settling into MHCC, Skari has also been establishing life here in Oregon after making the move from her former position at Highline Community College, just outside of Seattle in Des Moines, Washington.

“Settling in has gone really well.

I feel like I’m not living in someone else’s house anymore. Most of the things are put away. I feel good on that,” she said.

While there aren’t a ton of obvious differences between Oregon and Washington, Skari said she wasn’t prepared for freezing

rain (a Portland-area specialty!) as she had never really experienced anything aside from rain or snow.

She described her first year at Mt. Hood as “fast,” “challenging” (but in a positive way), and “different.”

By different, she’s referring to the variations between Oregon and Washington’s budget process, as well as learning to understand how information in data-based reports differs from state to state.

In Washington, tuition is set at the state level, and if the Legislature hadn’t made a decision about state funding for colleges, then, “We would do a continuing resolution with our board to spend. We usually then would adopt our budget at our September board meeting. We had authority to spend,” said Skari.

MHCC has to adopt a final budget before knowing what the college will receive from the state, meantime. Despite the adjustment, Skari is feeling okay about it.

“While it’s interesting trying to figure out what you’re doing

Photo by Bethany Fallgren / the Advocate

President Lisa Skari has a goal to create a more stable environment for MHCC employees and increase student success.

when you don’t know how much money is coming in. At least I felt comfortable in the process and going through with the board and setting the priorities,” she said.

Skari was eager to dive into things when she started at Mt. Hood in July 2018 with expectations for herself that ended up being inflated, in hindsight, she said.

TO CONTINUE READING, SEE PAGE 8

THORNS BACKUP PLAYERS STEP UP IN WIN Julia Empleo the advocate

The Portland Thorns are back in action in the newly renovated Providence Park, and are among the league leaders again this season.

They are currently 4-2-1 (winslosses-draws) and sitting in second place in the NWSL – the National Women’s Soccer League – after playing six straight road games to open the year, due to the stadium construction project.

On Sunday afternoon, June 2, the Thorns didn’t disappoint, playing in front of 19,461 fans for their home opener, beating the Chicago Red Stars, 3-0. That’s even though they are missing nine of their key players to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup competition that kicks off today and will run through July 7.

Coming into this game, there were a lot of questions of who would step up during that period to keep the goals coming. And midfielder Midge Purce answered that question after scoring back-to-

Photos by Fletcher Wold / the Advocate

back goals in the first half.

Purce got a nice pass from forward Simone Charley, then had to get around the goalkeeper and Chicago defender Katie Naughton, and slid the ball straight into the net in the 27th minute to put the Thorns up by one. Four minutes later, she scored another goal, also assisted by Charley, to put the Thorns 2-0 at the half.

Purce and Charley were in the rhythm for the first 45 minutes of the game. Purce has now scored three goals in her last two matches in Thorns uniform, after not being able to play at the start of the season due to injuries.

She wasn’t the only Thorn to get her first Providence Park goal. In the 85th minute, forward Marissa

Everett, who was signed to the roster on May 24, scored her first career goal. She knocked a perfect a shot through the legs of Chicago’s goalkeeper, off of teammate Meghan Klingenberg’s free kick, to put the Thorns up 3-0.

It was an incredible team-wide effort in the defense, also, that lifted the team without their best players on the field. Portland needs to play like they did for the next month to keep the team on top of the league.

The next match for the Thorns will be on June 15, on the road against the North Carolina Courage, the team that beat Portland in the 2018 NWSL championship game last September.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | NEWS

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

‘ALADDIN’ COMES TO LIFE IN LIVE ACTION 3 out of 5 stars

Kurt Larson the advocate

Yet another live action adaptation of one of Disney’s classic animated films has hit theaters and it’s getting hard not to feel a little jaded.

The majority of Disney’s previous live action adaptations have been a roll of the dice in terms of overall quality, with some strumming the heartstrings just as their original animated release did, and others turning out rather mediocre.

At a certain point it begins to feel more like Disney is just cashing in on its most nostalgic properties without having to put in too much

effort.

With all of the controversy surrounding the production of “Aladdin” 2019, it seemed like the film was destined to be yet another cheesy remake of an animated classic.

But I’m happy to report that director Guy Ritchie did a fantastic job reinterpreting the 1992 release into a new and visually enticing world of music and wonder for a whole new generation of children.

Not only was the criticism over a blue Will Smith as Genie completely unfounded in the end, but thanks to an amazing cast of relatively unknown actors, the spirit and levity of the original was brought to life once again.

Mena Massoud performs like a true pro in his breakout role, playing Aladdin himself with perfect cartoonish charm.

Web photo

Naomi Scott also does a superb job as Princess Jasmine, stealing the scene any chance she has to show off her impressive vocals.

Both leads sing wonderfully, in fact, and even Smith manages to belt out a few good tunes, not to mention doing a rather sublime job of filling Robin Williams’ shoes.

While the presence of Williams as Genie will never be replaced, Smith does a wonderful job bringing that iconic comedic sass to the character.

Despite all of the positive aspects of this movie, not everything lives up to expectations.

Some of the CG looks rather unfinished in some places, some of the new songs don’t work as well, and Marwan Kenzari as Jafar comes across as a little flat and uninspired. Not to mention, it’s still hard to shake the feeling that

this film is completely unnecessary as far as remakes are concerned. It’s not as impactful as the original film and some of the action and musical numbers simply play out so much better in their animated form.

But that’s not to say that this film is a waste of time, by any means.

In fact, for the most part, Aladdin 2019 comes across as a rather enjoyable adaptation and is a fun nostalgia trip with some fun visuals and catchy songs.

If you’ve always wondered what the bright colors and epic desert landscapes of the animated film would look like In real life, or if you simply want to experience a Disney classic in a new light, then head out to the nearest showing.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

She hoped to know a lot about the college by the end of her first six months to be able to put new plans in place, but now, toward the end of her first complete year, is fully understanding campus and how different areas integrate and flow.

The first-time president has had to make some hard decisions in her time her so far, with the budget often being the challenging part of those decisions. The first example she gave was in regards to her recommendation to the MHCC District Board to keep the college’s FM radio station, KMHD, in a partnership with OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting).

“My challenge was my fear of knowing where we are financially because if we brought (KMHD) back (to the campus) we could potentially kill it, because we didn’t have the resources. So, that was one of those hard ones (decisions) that I’m not sure translated,” said Skari.

Another tough choice she made, but a positive one, was the decision to move the college back toward a path of having a vice president of instruction, she said.

“I realize it’s left folks a little uncertain, but I believe having one person that’s accountable probably better serves the faculty and the employees there than trying to PA G E 8

have it split,” she said.

That type of uncertainty for MHCC employees is exactly what she’s trying to change, she added.

LOOKING FORWARD Skari hopes to improve clarity within the college’s organizational employee structures. She wants to be transparent with the decision making process and increase communication throughout those processes while also increasing stability at MHCC, she said. It’s important to her that employees know who their supervisor is, who’s in charge of their supervisor, etc., so that when concerns arise, employees know who’s in charge.

“I feel like faculty, staff, and managers have kind of been on this constant change (cycle), so my hope is to try to start getting a little stability in our processes and how we do things,” she said.

She also wants to make sure the college has a better long-term planning process that instills predictability for Mt. Hood employees so everyone can be more certain in their expectations for what will take place over the next few years.

With better planning, Skari hopes to better prepare the college to get to a place where it can pass a long-coveted general obligation bond, to help pay for major physical changes. She’s working on this through a community perceptions

survey this year, and then projects such as academic program evaluations and a new facilities master plan that can all help set the foundation for a bond campaign. Then, if and when there is bond money to spend, the college will know where to best use it.

When it comes to academic program evaluations, Skari wants to understand how each of the college’s programs are doing, where investments could be made to grow successful programs, and how the college could do a better job of helping those programs that are struggling.

“My goal is to have every single one of our academic programs fully enrolled. That would be awesome, because then that means we’re meeting the demand of our community, we’re meeting the student needs, and we’re actually probably providing the students a much better learning environment,” she said.

Student success is important to Skari. She said she’s looking to get to the root of student success issues – whether it’s students who are failing, withdrawing from classes, or getting Ds, she wants to figure out who those students are, and understand what barriers they are facing and how the college can provide resources to focus on and better support them.

She also wants to look at how MHCC’s policies affect students because it’s been a while since the college did a policy review.

“Do we have any students who are disproportionately not served by these policies?” Skari wondered aloud. “If so, how do we change the policies or how do we adapt them so that they’re more equitable and inclusive?”

MHCC has seen many employee groups diversify over the past couple years and begin to better reflect the students they serve, but Skari explained that full-time faculty are the slowest group to see change within because most of that group is here to stay long-term.

She said there are recruiting strategies to seek out future faculty who come from different backgrounds, such as networking with graduate programs at historically black colleges and universities or hispanic-serving institutions, but she emphasized the importance of respecting MHCC’s campus culture.

Skari said, “You can do all the recruiting you want, but if you don’t create an environment where people feel welcomed and accepted you’re gonna lose them. So, I’m also mindful of, how are we doing as a campus? How do our employees of color feel? Can they be themselves and bring their true

selves to campus or is there still a little bit of apprehension?”

When thinking about progress at Mt. Hood, Skari hopes to get all parts of the college on the same page.

Using an analogy, she explained, “Everyone’s on a boat and we all have our oars in the water and people are paddling as fast and hard as they can but we’re not synchronized, so we’re kind of spinning. My goal is to try to figure out how we get it back aligned so we’re all oaring at the same time, in the same direction, which hopefully then will make it easier and we’ll go further.”

Whether it’s working on the budget, staffing structure, communication, or long term planning, Skari said that interacting with students balances out the tough parts of being college president.

“Sometimes when there’s challenging days, I look for an opportunity to interact with students or look at students’ showcase or something, or see a student speak.

It’s grounding and it’s refreshing, and it’s like, this is what it’s all about.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

JUNE 7, 2019

VICARIOUSLY LIVE THE SPACE TRAVEL DREAM Chloe Collins the advocate

If you have ever seen “Star Wars” or even “Space Balls,” you have probably imagined what it would be like to pilot through space.

Mt. Hood graduates Mike Curtis and Tim Ramaekers are offering listeners an opportunity to do so without leaving the ground.

The duo describes their podcast, “The Adventures of the Awkward Screw,” as an immersive experience.

The podcast is intended to pull listeners so deeply in to the story that they forget they’re still on Earth while listening.

The Awkward Screw is a storybased, science fiction podcast.

There are four main characters of different species and they man a ship that is constantly in repair.

The plot focuses on the adventures of the crew, but more importantly, their personal development. Over

the course of the ongoing story, the characters realize what’s important and “become better people,” Curtis said.

Each character represents some aspect of Curtis’s psyche. One character, Tony, represents Curtis’s most juvenile self, and while Tony holds a special place for him, the co-creator’s current favorite is the Captain.

Each character holds a special place for Ramaekers – even Tony, despite his feisty nature.

The character Ramaekers most identifies with is the easygoing Helount, meantime.

Life experiences inspired more than just the characters. Curtis experienced a back injury at his job not long before contacting Ramaekers, and was eager to stop the cycle of doing jobs that didn’t fulfill him. For his part, Ramaekers did not realize how unhappy he was with his work life until he found an

opportunity to use his talents and creativity.

“I always had the motivation, but never had the inspiration,” Ramaekers said. The two have been friends for decades, and find it easy to draw inspiration and support from each other. They are looking forward to the future of creative work this podcast has opened up for them.

The duo initially began planning to create an animated web series in September 2017. They decided that it would take too long to start up, since neither of them had done much graphic design in years. Finally, after months of daily conversation and creative process, the two decided to get the story out in audio-only format. They are still planning an animated future for The Awkward Screw, and hope to begin the transformation process in three years.

Curtis and Ramaekers

Graphic provided by Ramaekers

encourage anyone to follow their creative passion: Don’t wait to do what you want to do, they urge.

They hope the Awkward Screw will go on “changing the world, two ears at a time,” Curtis said.

The podcast is available on most platforms, and/or information can be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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

Graphic by Eli Rankin / the Advocate

CONTINUOUS Gresham Saturday Market

Megan Phelps the advocate

Woodcut Workshop

All Summer through Sept. 28, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Gresham Farmers’ Market

Through Oct. 26, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Arts Plaza, NE Third Street and NE Hood Avenue, Gresham

Twilight Market at Gresham Station 2019

Every Wednesday through Aug. 28, 4 – 8:30 p.m.

Gresham Station, 649 NW 12th St.

Third Thursdays (Downtown Gresham)

Every third Thursday of the month through August, 5 – 8 p.m.

Summer Kids in the Park

June 24 – Aug. 16 (Monday – Friday) Three locations; times vary depending on location. Free lunch and recreation for kids ages 18 and under. For more information contact Boys & Girls Clubs at 503-545-4368 or visit the City of Gresham’s website.

Free Bike Repair Workshops

Wednesdays June 26, July 24, Aug. 28, Sept. 25, 5 – 7 p.m.

Main City Park, Coho Picnic Shelter, 219 South Main Ave. Gresham Contact Bikes for Humanity at 503-496-9641

Music Mondays

July 1 – Aug. 26, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Arts Plaza, 401 NE Second St., Gresham All concerts are free. For more info, contact the Center for the Arts Foundation at centerartsfoundation@gmail.com or Sue O’Halloran at 503-489-1157.

MHCC Summer Theatre Academy Monday, Aug. 5 – Friday, Aug. 9 Monday, Aug. 12 – Saturday, Aug. 17 Times vary depending on age group.

Registration and additional info. available at mhcc.edu/theatrecamp

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JULY

JUNE Community Conservation and Repair Fair Yoshida Event Center/Gymnasium, MHCC Saturday, June 8, Noon-3 p.m.

Rockwood Rising Groudbreaking Catalyst Site at the corner of East Burnside St. and SE 187th Avenue Wednesday, June 12, 4 – 5 p.m.

Rockwood Rising Groudbreaking Celebration

MetroEast Community Media, 484 SE 187th Ave., Portland Wednesday, June 12, 4 – 5 p.m.

GED/AHSD Graduation Earl Klapstein Stadium, MHCC Friday, June 14, 7 - 9 p.m.

Commencement

Earl Klapstein Stadium, MHCC Satuday, June 15, 10 a.m. – Noon Gates open 8:45 a.m.

Strawberry Short Course Festival MHCC Main Campus Saturday, June 22, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

234th Army Band

College Theatre, MHCC Sunday, June 30, 3 - 5 p.m.

Printmaking Studio, MHCC Saturday-Sunday, July 13-14, 12:30 - 4 p.m.

Contact Tiffany Davis to register: Tiffany.Davis@ mhcc.edu 503-491-7308

Art Under the Stars 2019

North Main Ave and NW Third Street, Downtown Gresham Friday, July 19, 6 – 10 p.m.

For more information contact Sasha Konell at 503-618-2264 or Sasha.Konell@GreshamOregon. gov.

Portland Highland Games

MHCC Athletics/ Physical Education Area Saturday, July 20, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Schedule and ticket info.: www.phga.org

2019 Gresham Arts Festival Downtown Gresham Saturday, July 20, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

2019 East Winds Band Camp Performing Arts, Building 11, MHCC Concert on Friday, Main College Theatre Sunday, July 28 – Friday Aug. 2

AUGUST Cruisin’ the Block Car Show 2019 Main Avenue, Downtown Gresham Saturday, Aug. 10, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

For more information about this event, contact: David at 503-860-8041 or pdxcarculture@gmail. com or Jerry at 503-491-7203 or jerrykim3@ comcast.net

Artist Reception: Outside the Box Visual Arts Gallery/Public Safety & Schools Building, 1331 NW Eastman Parkway, Gresham Tuesday, Aug. 27, 5:30 – 7 p.m.

For more information contact Rosalie Diaz at Rosalie.Diaz@GreshamOregon.gov.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

JUNE 7, 2019

ARTIST SHARES INSPIRATION TO CREATE Chloe Collins the advocate

Graphic by Eli Rankin / the Advocate

Benjamin Anctil the advocate

Following the Eagle Creek wildfire of September 2017, many of the major hiking and recreational sites in the Columbia River Gorge have been closed, some indefinitely. Before summer begins, we’d like to equip you with a list of those trails in Oregon and Washington that ARE open. Check the link below for updates!

Washington Hiking Areas Augspurger Mountain Balfour-Klickitat Loop Cape Horn Loop (seasonal partial closure through July 15) Dog Creek Falls Dog Mountain Loop Fort Cascades Heritage Trail Loop (Couple with Strawberry Island Loop) Gillette Lake & Greenleaf Overlook Lyle Cherry Orchard Sams Walker Loop St. Cloud Loop and Day Use Area Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge (Gibbons Creek Trail seasonal partial closure Oct. 1) Table Mountain Washougal Waterfront Trail Weldon Wagon Whistle Punk Interpretive Trail Loop Battle Ground Lake State Park Beacon Rock State Park Beacon Rock trail Hamilton Mountain Loop

Hardy and Rodney Falls (Pool of the Winds) Hardy Ridge Loop River-to-Rock Catherine Creek Area Catherine Creek Arch Loop Catherine Creek Labyrinth Catherine Creek Universal Access Loop Crawford Oaks Loop Dalles Mountain Ranch to Stacker Butte Horsethief Butte Horsethief Lake Petroglyphs (reservations: 509-439-9032) Gifford Pinchot National Forest Falls Creek Falls Mount St. Helens West Side and Johnston Ridge Observatory Mount St. Helens East Side Lewis River Falls Panther Creek Falls Klickitat State Park Trail Fisher Hill to Klickitat Fisher Hill to Pitt Lyle to Fisher Hill Swale Canyon

Oregon Hiking Areas Angel’s Rest Angel’s to Devils Rest Benson Plateau Loop Dry Creek Falls Dry Creek Falls to Herman Creek Herman Creek to Casey Creek Herman Creek to Mud Lake Horsetail Falls to Ponytail Falls Indian Point Loop

Larch Mountain Trail (from Multnomah Falls) *recently reopened Mitchell Point Mosier Creek Falls Mosier Plateau Mosier Twin Tunnels Multnomah Falls (to top of falls) Nick Eaton Ridge North Lake Rowena Plateau Sandy River Delta The Dalles Waterfront Trail Wahkeena Falls Oregon State Parks Bonnie Lure State Recreation Area Bridal Veil Falls State Park Dabney State Recreation Area Deschutes River State Recreation Area Guy Talbot State Park (trailhead for Latourell Falls) Latourell Falls Lewis and Clark State Recreation Site Government Island State Recreation Area Memaloose State Park Milo McIver State Park Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint Rooster Rock State Park Rooster Rock Loop Tooth Rock Starvation Creek State Park Hole-in-the-Wall Falls Lancaster Falls Mount Defiance Starvation Creek Falls Starvation Creek to Warren Lake

Storytelling has been at the center of culture for centuries. Through stories, we learn things like family secrets, local history, or life lessons.

It turns out being the storyteller can be just as satisfying as being the listener. Just ask Miya Sukune, the artist behind “Get Together,” the exhibit currently on display in the MHCC Fireplace Gallery.

Sukune identifies the challenge of telling a story with a still portrait as being a big motivation in her work. Aside from the challenge of storytelling, she finds satisfaction in the act of creating something that is entirely her own.

While she does occasionally “tip the hat to an ‘Old Master’ or brilliant book,” her ideas are her own compositions, she explained.

Books and preceding artists are not Sukune’s only inspiration in art. Seasons also play a role in what she is painting at specific times of the year. Last year, she did a series of small paintings that capture Mount Rainier at sunset. The light and color change very quickly, and each day is unique with this subject, she said. She’s already looking forward to another summer of capturing water and mountain scenes.

When she first began painting in 2011, Sukune didn’t feel like her oil painting was good enough to call herself an artist yet. However, she believed herself to be an artist long before she finally took on that label, professionally.

Being an artist is not all fun and paint, though. In the time that she isn’t actively creating art, Sukune must handle what she calls the “administrative side.” These duties include submitting applications for residencies, competitions, and shows. In her true free time, she enjoys reading, visiting with friends, and taking walks through the forest.

Sometimes, as an artist, Sukune hits a mental block.

In that case, she takes some time off. Sometimes, she might try creating with a different medium, or going to a museum, or people-watching at a diner.

“The more you do and the more you see – you’re expanding your knowledge and experience base,” she said. “That’s where your art comes from.”

To any future artists out there, Sukune recommends making art every day. She said she believes that even if you don’t have time to do much, even small art every day will help you learn how to articulate your ideas through art. And if you do plan to make art your career, the best advice she said she received after graduating art school was to constantly have an exhibit lined up. This way, even when things get chaotic in life, you will have an extra nudge to put work out, she said.

Sukune’s “Get Together” exhibit can be found in the Fireplace Gallery, inside the Student Union, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays (until 5 p.m. on Fridays). The exhibit will be on display through June 11.

To see more art by Miya Sukune check her website: miyasukune.com.

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OPINION

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

THE ADVOCATE: A HIDDEN GOLDMINE

Oregon State University College of Business

Finish

DAM STRONG in Portland

Why HYBRID? IT’S FLEXIBLE Our hybrid degree completion program combines classroom learning with the flexibility of Oregon State’s top-ranked online classes.

Fletcher Wold the advocate

IT SETS YOU APART A degree from OSU is recognized beyond the I-5 corridor. Businesses know the professional caliber of our graduates, and they hire them.

LESS MONEY, LESS TIME You'll finish your OSU business degree by completing just 60 upperdivision credits, which saves you money and time.

YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY There are nearly 10,000 College of Business alumni in the greater Portland area — you’ll expand your professional network and connect with industry professionals.

JOIN US. FIND OUT HOW: business.oregonstate.edu/hybrid | bridget.jones@oregonstate.edu PA G E 1 2

One of the hard things about becoming a professional photographer these days is getting experience and versatility within this creative field. So, when I found out I could gain both of those things here at the Advocate and in return, get my classes paid for, I was pretty excited. A chance to get my work published, week to week, while also building experience shooting in multiple, challenging environments – who could pass that up?

It’s been great to capture moments in places that most photographers can’t get access to. Through the Advocate, I’ve had the opportunity to shoot five Portland Timbers games, a Thorns game, a Blazer game, a local band’s professional portraits, and various other events that would be closed to me, otherwise.

Aside from the photography skills I’ve been able to work on, through a combination of a great advising staff and talented and motivated student colleagues, my Advocate work has pushed me forward to become a better content creator. It is such an underrated group on campus that really is valuable and important to the atmosphere of the school and community.

I’ll be forever thankful for the experience and for the people I have met here, and I’m excited to see what this journey has next for us.

The photos above are a few of my favorite images that I’ve taken during my time here.