The Advocate - Issue 3 - October 4, 2019

Volume 54, Issue 3 October 4, 2019 advocate-online.net

FOR THE STUDENTS BY THE STUDENTS

President Skari's 5-year plan PAGE 2

Oscar bait, and a lot of it PAGE 3

MHCC art teachers "show" their colors PAGE 8

TECH IS EVOLVING WITH US FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

Vaping epidemic scares America PAGE 4

2019 FIRST PLACE

General Excellence

Pacific Northwest Assoc. of Journalism Educators

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OPINION

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

BACK TO SCHOOL, BACK TO ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS

Omar Saradi The Advocate

The most graphic PSA (public service announcement) video I’ve seen in a long time is the recent ‘back to school’ ad from the Sandy Hook Promise organization.

The ad plays like your typical retail back-to-school promotion, with young students showing off their new school supplies, but then turns into a realistic school shooting situation. It contrasts the lighthearted tone of a TV commercial with the reality of gun violence in schools, and it’s really scary how it’s portrayed. The most important thing to take away from viewing the spot is that it’s accurate – yeah, it’s fictional, but this is how most kids going to school imagine it to be.

People, especially politicians, are quick to forget that the Sandy Hook shooting (20 grade school pupils and six staff members in Connecticut were killed in December 2012) was a little less

than a decade ago. Despite that, we must hear the annual talk regarding gun safety, and conduct our own school lockdown drills. (Mt. Hood’s next drill is due on Oct. 24).

While we do that, we also have to sidestep the real conversation we’ve been trying to have about every month, it seems. If bringing up gun control right after an event such as Sandy Hook is considered “politicizing a tragedy,” then it isn’t too late to bring it back up in light of this PSA? We avoid meaningful legislation because there aren’t enough ads like this – you have to shock our citizens and politicians to bring that suffering back to reality.

Another thing we miss out on during periods of mass shooting crises and politics in America is

that these problems are pretty uniquely American. The gun control debate among those on the left side of politics includes pointing to aggressive gun laws in other countries, notably Australia’s buyback program and the recent New Zealand massacre that led to New Zealand’s recent gun control steps.

What’s pretty notable and surprising in the eyes of Americans is how soon the government was able to act. The Christchurch shooting, for example, led to stricter gun laws in New Zealand and a buyback program – about a month after the shooting.

We’re nearly seven years after the Sandy Hook shooting, a massacre that didn’t take the most lives in

these type of shootings, but took the youngest – first-graders and kindergartners. This PSA showed that there was a reason President Obama shed tears during his press conference regarding the shooting, a conference the President’s opposition criticized. Here we are in 2019: People who cried several years ago are letting out a few tears in an awareness ad, reminding us of a problem we let slip through the cracks.

It’s uniquely American for us to talk about this PSA, share it on social media, bring it to the attention of our representatives and then have it brushed off to the side.

I think that is the long-term tragedy of the Sandy Hook massacre we need awareness of.

FOUR GOALS TO IMPROVE MHCC IN FIVE YEARS Chloe Collins The Advocate

It’s pretty hard to achieve a longterm goal when you don’t have a plan to get there. This is the reason college students use degree maps to meet the goals listed and eventually get their degree.

For the same reason, MHCC has adopted four official goals to help fill out a new five-year plan for the college.

Last school year marked the first for Lisa Skari as president at Mt. Hood. This summer, Skari was asked to give a list of personal goals as current president to the MHCC District Board of directors. Realizing that it’s difficult to give personal goals when you do not know what you’re working toward, Skari decided to create the long-term goals, too.

And so, beginning this year, MHCC will actively, officially be working to improve student success; advance diversity, equity, and inclusion; strengthen community engagement; and increase excellence in operations.

Getting to these four goals took a lot of listening, Skari said.

After speaking with Mt. Hood students and staff, she knew where everyone saw room for improvement, and talking with the board gave her a solid idea of the direction in which they would like to see the school move.

Externally, the terms of accreditation (formal re-certification pro-

cess for two- and four-year colleges and universities) for colleges in our region have recently changed. The new terms of accreditation will function like a benchmark test, where Mt. Hood will be compared to other like schools.

surrounding community, Skari said.

Students are the most important factor in these goals, she said. When she announced the plan publicly at the MHCC faculty/staff convocation in the College Theatre on Sept.

17, she invited five students onstage to discuss what each goal meant to them. Each student who spoke about the goals found a way to challenge the administration to be even better in some way.

In response, Skari said the best way for students to - LISA SKARI MHCC PRESIDENT contribute to reaching Mt. Hood’s new goals is to give The goals are intended to not feedback. Tell the administration only help MHCC maintain its ac- where there are gaps in the execucreditation with minimal recom- tion of the goals. Support diversity, mendations for change, but also to equity, and inclusion by explaining improve the student experience and where those values are not already the school’s relationship with its being implemented.

“IF WE AREN’T SUPPORTING STUDENTS AND THEIR SUCCESS, WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES, ‘WHY ARE WE HERE?’”

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT VOICE OF MHCC Editor-in-Chief Chloe Collins

Sports Editor Julia Empleo

Associate Editor Omar Saradi

Opinion Editors Sadie Klein Omar Saradi

News Editor Chris Barney Arts & Entertainment Editors Kurt Larson Eli Rankin Austin Asciutto

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Graphic Design Editor Eli Rankin Radio Producer Naethaniel Lile

@mhccadvocate

@theadvocateonline

Broadcast team Gage Linhares

Web Editors Kathrine Birch

Outreach Manager Melanie Roberts

Graphic Design Team Leydi Perez Carrasco

Ad Manager Kaleb Moring

Social Media Manager Kaleb Moring

Photo Editor Maysee Thao

Staff Writers Brad Le Daniella Young Parrish Chang Kel Buell Ashaura Espinoza

Distribution Specialist Julia MacDonald

Photo Team Bethy Fallgren Landon Spady Copy Editor Corwin Benedict

Advisers Dan Ernst Howard Buck

In her own effort to reinforce these goals, Skari will be visiting with 50 different school groups in 50 weeks. So far, she has stopped in at three groups (including the Advocate staff). The proverbial door is open for any group or organization on campus to request a visit, but she said she intends to make the first move when necessary and really put in the effort to get to know the student body better.

It’s all part of the new blueprint, Skari said.

“Each goal is dependent on the other goals. If one goal was eliminated, the rest of them wouldn’t work,” she said. “While none of the goals are necessarily more important than the others, at the end of the day if we aren’t supporting students and their success, we have to ask ourselves, ‘Why we are here?’ ”

@mhccadvocate

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OPINION

OCTOBER 4, 2019

HAVE THE OSCARS LOST THEIR MAGIC TOUCH?

Kurt Larson

The Advocate It’s October, and it might feel like this year’s Academy Awards are still a world away, but in reality, this tedious yearly ceremony is only a little over four months from now.

To the average person, the Academy Awards are of little interest, aside from providing an opportunity to gloat when your favorite movie wins.

Nonetheless, the Oscars are a big deal for the industry as a whole, and so it’s worth speculating who

the 2020 nominees might be.

The nomination process for Best Picture, as well as all the other categories, is as vague and corrupt as any other politicized, multibillion-dollar business. However, there is still a clear pattern in the way films and their creators are chosen and deemed worthy of consideration. The typical “Oscarbait” predictors have changed over the years somewhat, though much has stayed the same.

Biopics have always done well in the Best Picture category; so have historical films and hit box office dramas. Divisive art films from notable directors are also frequently nominated, as well as movies centered around group or individual suffrage. Examples usually concern slavery, mental illness, addiction, the handicapped, war, the LGBTQ community, or any other easily dramatized situation of personal or group struggle.

There also are genres which have historically almost never been chosen: Sci-fi, horror, animation,

and comic book movies seem to be disregarded almost on principle, though that tradition seems to be changing somewhat.

So, with all of this to consider, what do the predictions look like so far?

According to GoldDerby.com, a site which compiles statistics to predict the odds of nomination for each big category, Quentin

about U.S. automotive designer Carroll Shelby and British race car driver Ken Miles; “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood,” the Tom Hanks/Mr. Rogers biopic; “Marriage Story,” starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, who play a couple going through divorce; “Little Women,” a period drama about four sisters growing up in post-Civil War America, and

“WHATEVER SOUL THE OSCARS HAD WAS LOST A LONG TIME AGO...’”

Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is charted at No. 1 for the chance to win, with Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” at No. 2.

Other notable films in the top ten include “Jojo Rabbit,” Taika Waititi’s World War II Hitler comedy; “Ford v Ferrari,” a film

“1917,” a World War I action drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

Some observers may have expected “Joker” or “Avengers: End Game” to appear somewhere on the list, seeing as “Black Panther” made the Best Picture nominations cut last year. But the 2020 predictions

are looking to be more of a return to form this time around, made evident by the large majority of clear Oscar bait titles dominating the oddsmakers favorites. (Although, Joaquin Phoenix is currently trending at No. 2 in the predictions for Best Actor, furthering the trend of comic book movies inching their way toward legitimacy in the eyes of the Academy.)

The movie year is not quite over yet, though, so the odds are bound to change and perhaps some films may even be kicked out of the top ten.

In the end, the process is all one big, self-congratulatory pat on the back for the big names of the industry, meant to drive buzz and promote sales. Whatever soul the Oscars had was lost a long time ago, and your time is probably better spent looking at the inevitable memes and fail videos that come out of the 92nd Academy Awards show, after it’s over.

In any case, it’s fun to watch the drama unfold along the way.

BIG NAMES WILL BEBOP TO MT. HOOD JAZZ FESTIVAL Chloe Collins The Advocate

Jazz is back in full swing at MHCC. Last spring, Venture magazine 2019 (published in conjunction with The Advocate, www.advocate-online.net/venture) told the story of the once-wildly popular Mt. Hood Jazz Festival. Years ago, the event took place on campus every year, drawing top professional performers and tens of thousands of patrons, but for a variety of reasons it eventually moved off-campus.

Today, students and area jazz fans can look forward to the return of the “Mt. Hood Jazz Festival” – and some professional headliners – which will be held on campus April 24-25,

Cover by: Eli Rankin | The Advocate

2020. This year, The Mt. Hood Jazz Association has agreed to give the name of the memorable “Mt. Hood Jazz Festival” back to MHCC. The event will absorb the annual Northwest Jazz Festival, which last spring brought over 70 high school and collegiate jazz bands to compete and perform on the MHCC campus.

That event’s focus has been mostly on educational aspects of music, for musically oriented students.

Dan Davey, director of jazz studies for MHCC, explained that the revived Mt. Hood Jazz Festival will combine educational and professional aspects of music festivals.

After middle school competition on opening day, one middle school band will have the opportunity to perform before the featured

artist. Day Two of the festival will have a high school jazz band competition during the day, followed by a headlining performer, who Davey declined to name but described as a “renowned jazz artist.”

Having the festival back on campus could be beneficial in many ways, Davey noted.

While it is important that most festivals provide music students with opportunities to perform or to compete, they also let them learn about venue management, which can come in handy in the music field.

If you’re looking for a way to support the next generation of jazz musicians as well as some from the current generation, the perfect opportunity is the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival. For more info go to www.mhcc.edu/JazzFestival.

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GET TO KNOW THE ADVOCATE Chris Barney News Editor

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

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.

Chris Barney is a second-year student majoring in mechatronics, and is considering pursuing certification for electrical work. He is passionate about his church and friends. In his spare time he enjoys books, gaming (solo or with others) and performing in the theatre.

His favorite style of show to play in is the musical. He also enjoys other subjects, including math and history.

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OPINION | NEWS

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

E-CIGARETTES ARE CAUSING DEATHS IN THE US: ARE WE HANDLING IT MOST EFFECTIVELY?

V

aping (or e-cigarettes) is the modern alternative to smoking cigarettes, but recently there has been a series of mysterious illnesses and deaths that have led to it fast becoming a major public health concern.

The Trump administration has even hinted at planning to ban e-cigs in response, but that only brings in the dilemma that e-cigs are being banned before conventional tobacco cigarettes – the ones responsible for over 480,000 deaths per year (per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

For years, e-cigs weren’t deemed completely safe, but a lot of people wrote them off as such because it wasn’t tobacco, carcinogens weren’t being inhaled and it seemed like a healthier, more discrete option to smoking. But the public is now seeing the consequences of this attitude.

Vape products appeal to middle schoolers, high schoolers and young adults the most. They

come in all kinds of sizes, colors and shapes. One of the main companies that is producing e-cigs is Juul: This brand has coerced the youth market through its flavored nicotine pods. One pod has the same nicotine content as one pack of 25 cigarettes, making Juul products highly addictive. Quickly, it got to the point where mangoflavored pods were banned from many stores.

This didn’t stop teens from abusing the product, however.

In the past month, in Oregon and across the U.S., hundreds of new cases have popped up at an alarming rate, where users of vaping products, particularly the Juul, have suffered serious lung and cardiovascular illnes, despite the trend being less than a decade old.

Not only does this highlight the health risk of vaping, it shows the amount of attention this health crisis is getting compared to cigarettes.

The tobacco industry has been dominant since the creation of the

American colonies and evolved into a powerhouse of American consumer culture.

Smoking cigarettes was the norm from the 1900s until numerous public and private entities banned indoor smoking, a generation ago.

Most people now know about the lies the tobacco industry told about cigarettes being healthy and the amount of advertisement put into that effort. Our society is lucky to even have the U.S. Surgeon General warning on tobacco and nicotine products, although this doesn’t stop users from consumption. People know that smoking is unhealthy, and not long ago, we were very close to ending nicotine abuse for the new generation. But then teens found out you can get nicotine in a mango-and-cucumber flavor.

Having flavored nicotine products changed the way nicotine addiction could be marketed.

Its too soon to know the specific health risks of vaping, because long term studies cannot yet be

published. It took half a century for people to see the risks of tobacco, but it has only taken a few years for vaping relating-troubles to make headlines.

Still, given all the other crises in America, such as gun violence, poverty, mental illness and healthcare access – it calls into question, does the government really need to make a move on e-cigs right now? The dangers of addiction and mental health are affecting youth, but the same thing can be said of school shootings that are still to be answered for.

We at The Advocate believe that rather than treating the problem of nicotine and drug addiction as a criminal issue that needs to have some

onerous sort of regulation, we should treat it like a medical issue.

People are attracted to the trend of vaping and stay because it makes them feel good, and there needs to be recognition of the healthier alternatives to treating this problem.

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LAUREN GRISWOLD BOLTS TO BOISE Austin Asciutto The Advocate

It was a bittersweet farewell in MHCC’s Communications office on Sept. 26 as Lauren Griswold, associate director of creative strategies for the college, said goodbye to her co-workers.

Heaps of staff members poured in to share memories, talk about her exciting next step – moving to Boise, Idaho – and eat lots of cookies.

Griswold’s work at Mt. Hood since arriving in July 2018 included managing the college’s marketing and communication efforts. Part of that, she said, was to make sure that “students feel a stronger affinity to the college and see consistency along the brand.”

This includes directing the design of the “Be Your Dream” slogan and mountain seen along the new HUB center upstairs on the Gresham campus, and revamping the MHCC PA G E 4

website, which she said is “one of the key decision-making factors in students selecting a college.”

Griswold said she is confident

some of the changes she helped formulate at Mt. Hood, such as the website resdesign in line with the “Be Your Dream” slogan and

Lauren Griswold poses with co-workers outside of her office.

bold red branding seen on and off campus, will help the school’s consistency in branding.

Her move to Idaho is to become

Landon Spady | The Advocate

associate vice president of creative strategy at Boise State University, a four-year school where she will work under the newly hired president, Marleen Tromp. The two first worked together at Arizona State University, and Tromp reached out to recruit Griswold to help Boise State’s current upward trajectory, she said.

Mt. Hood plans to find a replacement for Griswold. Until then, Al Sigala, executive director of development and communications for MHCC, will guide her former department.

Asked what she really loved about MHCC, Griswold brought up the efforts of faculty members to see their students succeed.

“I think what you see most is that people really care about students achieving their dreams and that’s what’s been one of the most impressive things – the dedication that faculty has to student success,” she said.

NEWS | OPINION

OCTOBER 4, 2019

CAMPUS MINISTRIES CREATE CARING COMMUNITY Chris Barney The Advocate

College is undoubtedly one of the most stressful times in life. Through this time a student will need care in many different areas, and one of them happens to be community.

Community is significant because it can improve the resources a student has at their disposal to get through this journey through higher ed. Community essentially means friends and peers to whom they can talk, a group of people who support each other. There’s much to gain and nothing to lose – a student may find a friend who can help them with a difficult assignment, or someone to talk to if they are struggling emotionally.

Campus ministries are a great resource for community, in all of its sense, and MHCC has two of them.

NCM (Northwest Collegiate Ministries), and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship are both communities whose mission, simply put, is to care for students as they trudge through the trek of college. Sure, they have different formats and individual mission statements, but their mission is essentially one and the same.

One of the best things these communities provide to students is a break from the hustle and

Photo contributed by REVIVE planning team

bustle of college life and life in general.

Both groups host weekly meetings where students can hang out with their peers or meet new people, relax, and forget about school, even for just a moment. To be clear, these groups are not suggesting that students shirk their classes and other responsibilities; they just want to help them find that balance in life where they can accomplish what they need to each week and still find pockets of time to just rest and refresh for a moment Toward that goal, NCM and Intervarsity have joined forces along with Good Shepherd Community Church, Grace Community Church, Pathway Church and Trinity Church to provide one of those opportunities to relax. This opportunity is “Revive” worship night.

Revive is a night for students to come relax, refresh, and worship, if they feel so led. Essentially, Revive is for students to come and perhaps join in their community. The event is 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 in the Student Union.

Anyone further interested in NCM or Intervarsity can check out their weekly meetings, as well. NCM meets on Wednesdays at noon in the Jazz Café (second floor of the Student Union).

Intervarsity meets on Mondays, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m. in the Student Union or just outside, depending on the weather.

FIGHTING INJUSTICE IN THE GROCERY AISLE AND BEYOND

Omar Carrillo The Advocate

in the United States, and worldwide, worsens every year. A grocery store boycott that covered so much ground still only represents a small symptom of the much larger problems we have at hand. Because of course, even larger still, the issues of climate change, widespread poverty, political instability, etc. come bobbing up from the waters with no signs of any resolution.

The battle over our jobs and economy is ongoing, meanwhile.

In a leaked 45-minute video sent by Amazon headquarters to Whole Foods team leaders (a grocery chain now owned by the mega-corporation), a strong

anti-union and worker alliance initiative is pushed toward store supervisors with authority over countless low-wage laborers. It contained statements such as “We do not believe unions are in the best interest of our customers,” as well as “Having a union could hurt innovation, which could hurt customer obsession, which could ultimately threaten the building’s continued existence.”

This blatant anti-worker message is not only alarming, it is also false.

When union membership and growth stalls or declines, it proves to be harmful to the economy as a whole. With higher wages to spend, laborers are better able to support their local establishments and therefore those workers as well, studies have shown – thus creating a cycle of stability that is only weakened when unionizing is directly discouraged.

These conflicts should be contemplated, in the context of capitalism as we know it: Is an economy able to be destabilized easily by the to

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Hundred of families. Thousands of mouths to feed. An entity that evidently could not care less.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

It’s a reality that the employees of dozens of large-scale grocery establishments across Oregon and Washington encountered once again, and one that affects laborers across the globe every single day.

This truth revealed itself yet again earlier this month on Sept. 23, when a state-spanning boycott hit numerous supermarket businesses, in particular Fred Meyer.

According to the worker’s

union behind the organization and a major information distributor of the boycott, UFCW 555 (the United Food and Commercial Workers Union), tension between these two forces began as early as July 2018. Several incidents of employee harassment (specifically regarding union association) and unequal pay across in-store departments (often times attributed to gender variation within these departments) were also cited by UFCW 555 as concerns raised in the then-ongoing negotiations.

In a little under a week after the boycott announcement however, on Sept. 28, the union and Fred Meyer came to an agreement and the boycott was promptly called off. With a request for shopping regulars to resume their usual spending habits, the bubblingover conflict came to a cool calm once again.

If only the rest of so many similar workplace tensions could be resolved so publicly, cleanly, and quickly.

The fact of the matter is that economic inequality

financial power of others really worth trying to preserve time and time again? As more matters like the Fred Meyer boycott arise to the surface, it will become harder to miss them. Or be able to ignore them and pretend that these issues have never existed.

Currently, unionization is not exactly at its peak, in numbers or popularity. With the decline of classic industrial work in America, through which labor unions could quickly find strong support, it is no surprise that unions have not been on a steady rise for some time.

And it is of no coincidence at all that this trend parallels the rise of overall wealth inequality.

Right now, the greatest weapon we as a people have is our voice, amplified with the help of each other. During a time in which that kind of unity is exactly what we need, let us not ignore one another for any longer than we possibly can.

Let us follow in the footsteps of this local yet so-widespread boycott in standing up for what we know we all deserve, with our collective strength.

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NEWS | SPORTS

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

TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING US

Daniella Young The Advocate

The effects of technology are becoming increasingly apparent each day as the world becomes more reliant on it.

Technology can certainly be a positive aspect of life and can provide convenience, especially when it comes to school or work. It is a good source of information and technology reaches others instantly; we can contact our loved ones across the world immediately, and it’s also an amazing, convenient resource for entertainment.

I grew up in a time period when cell phones were first gradually de-

veloping and I witnessed the impact they began to have on my world.

In my elementary school years each summer, I would go outside every day to play with my friends, which I vividly remember being the highlight of my vacation, and it left amazing memories with me.

In middle school, using computer labs and completing tasks and essays online became more frequent habits than I realized. By high school, using Chromebooks or computers had become an everyday aspect of learning material and turning in assignments.

In addition to the impact it has had on schools, I see the influence technology has had on automobiles. Cars have many modern features, such as rear view cameras, blind spot warners, auto lock, keyless starter buttons, and countless others. In high school, we also discussed the development of self driving cars, growing ever nearer, which I still think is a pretty cool but also chilling aspect to think about.

Now, as a freshman in college, it’s

pretty interesting to look back and see all the changes that technology, specifically cell phones, have made to today’s society as I’ve grown up.

I don’t see kids playing outside in the summer as often, which at times concerns me. I also find myself at times spending a little too much time in front of my phone, when I should maybe be focusing on other things.

Despite these practical and favorable features, there are also negative effects of technology, and I believe we should limit the amount used, for a variety of reasons.

Clearly, there are significant physical and emotional impacts, especially in teens.

The physical effects can result from the hunched position that individuals are in when leaning down to look at phones so frequently throughout the day, specifically impacting the neck.

According to Healthline.com, one study found that among teens, neck-shoulder pain and low back pain rose during the 1990s at the

same time the use of information and communication technology was increasing. In addition to the neck being affected, the eyes can also suffer as a result of the amount of screen time. Reports on Healthline and by the American Optometric Association note there are many pressures that can impact the eye.

Symptoms of digital eye strain may include blurred vision, dry eyes, headaches – beyond the increasingly common neck and shoulder pain, according to one report.

These impacts are increasing daily, and they could become long lasting if not addressed soon enough.

What’s more, technology and social media have altered society in a way and created this new pressure that individuals, specifically teens, conform to. At times, social media can cause a teen to believe they are not equivalent to others online, with the mix of celebrities, peer pressures, and the “perfect” people they see online. According to How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers by Rachel Ehmke, and a survey

done by the Royal Society for Public Health on how social media has impacted teens, surveys have found that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all led to “increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image and loneliness.”

There are both positives and negatives to the digital world that we live in today. However, it would benefit us if we were to work together to limit the amount of screen time, such as creating a feature on phones that can alert us to the amount of time we’re spending, or maybe shutting off a device once we’ve reached a certain limit.

Making small differences, such as turning off phones while with family or friends, and avoiding technology if possible at certain events or when not needed, could also make a huge, positive difference. Focusing more on family and friends as well as school or work and taking advantage of all of the beautiful things life has to offer could make a lasting impact on future generations.

AMERICA’S PIGSKIN SOURCE Brad Le

The Advocate There are very few things more patriotic than an American sports game. But where is much of the professional sports equipment we see day after day made?

In none other than the Horween Leather Co., located in Chicago.

The company was founded by leather worker Isidore Horween in 1905. Initially the company focused on the production of leather strops to sharpen straight razors with. It wasn’t until the second generation owners that it shifted into making their most famous product:

the NFL’s footballs.

Isidore’s two sons, Ralph and Arnold Horween, were members of the Harvard Crimson football teams who later became players for the Racine and Chicago Cardinals (who moved on to St. Louis, then Arizona). After retiring from professional football, the brothers became the assistant coach of the Cardinals, and a football coach for Harvard, respectively. After their coaching careers, both took over their father’s leather tannery. It is likely that this is where the Horween tan-

nery built their connections to the NFL. In addition to making footballs, Horween is also the exclusive producer of basketballs for the NBA, through Spalding.

There does not seem to be any interesting origin story, compared to its NFL connection, but that doesn’t dilute the fact that the NBA still believes that the Horween is still a premier leather producer and so continues to help source the balls for their games.

Finally, Horween is also the largest producer of gloves for the MLB – Major League Baseball.

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MLB does not seem to be a major customer compared to the NFL or the NBA, as they consume comparatively little sports equipment. Still, Horween is considered the largest U.S. glove maker and business does not seem like they’re going to halt production anytime soon.

While Horween is one of the largest leather tanneries and producers of leather goods for professional leagues, sports goods only make up of about 40% of the firm’s production. The other 60% is comprised of footwear, clothing, and other leather accessories.

Beyond their sports clients, Horween is primarily famous for its use of two special leathers on top of its standard calf leather: Chromexcel leather and shell cordovan leath-

er. Chromexcel is the proprietary leather developed by Horween famous for its “greasy”-like qualities.

Shell cordovan is a leather (technically a membrane) that comes from the rear end of a horse, of which Horween is the world’s largest producer.

In an age when so many products are labeled “Made in China,” it might be a surprise that the balls and gloves of major American sports are still provided by an American leather tannery. It’s important to acknowledge that production of the NFL and NBA balls and many gloves in the MLB still supports proud American leather, and that is perhaps something that can be met with as much patriotism as the actual sport itself.

“IT WASN’T UNTIL THE SECOND GENERATION OWNERS THAT IT SHIFTED INTO MAKING THEIR MOST FAMOUS PRODUCT: THE NFL’S FOOTBALLS.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 4, 2019

FUN WITH SPACE AT MHCC’S PLANETARIUM Corwin Benedict The Advocate

On campus, there are many amazing and useful resources available to you as students that the Advocate works to bring to your attention. And one of those is MHCC’s very own planetarium.

A few Fridays ago, the Planetarium Sky Theater hosted a beautiful show here. Walking into the theater, inside Room 1304 on the lower level of the Main Mall,

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you immediately notice the ceiling, shaped like a dome, the ceiling showing myriad constellations on it, from Capricornus, to Hercules, and Sagittarius. As the lights dim and you sit back in your seat, Planetarium Director and Astronomy instructor Pat Hanrahan walks forward to begin the show.

The theme for this show was “Exploring The Autumn Sky.” Hanrahan explored a variety of

different topics, pointing out where you could find the planets and when they would be visible, tracing constellations so that you could gain a basic understanding of the night’s sky. He discussed the space missions that the U.S. has sent into the sky, and much more.

By the time the show – and any MHCC planetarium show – is over, you will find yourself wishing it could have continued for another hour, just so you can see more of the beautiful night sky that people have enjoyed and dreamed about since the creation of mankind.

We were happy to find out that while the first planetarium viewing that Friday had a few seats open, the second show was packed to the brim, as people spilled out onto the walkways outside the building.

The next shows are coming on Tuesday, Nov. 5, and Friday, Nov. 8.

Hanrahan will be showing photos of the night sky taken by amateur astronomers, pictures he says are sure to amaze visitors.

Make sure to check out this, or another of the monthly planetarium shows. Cost is $2 for students with Mt. Hood ID, and children age 17 and under; $5 for other adults. You won’t regret it.

37TH ANNUAL TEDDY BEAR PARADE

Photo by | Felisha Brewer

This year was the first time The Advocate participated in the annual Teddy Bear Parade held in historic downtown Gresham, to help represent Mt. Hood Community College. The staff members who joined the 37th annual event on Sept. 28 were Melanie Roberts, community outreach manager (left), and Chloe Collins, editor-in-chief.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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

MHCC STAFF SHOW OFF ARTISTIC TALENTS Parrish Chang The Advocate

Colorful, creative work from Mt. Hood art instructors is on display in the Visual Arts Gallery through Oct. 17.

To help kick off the faculty exhibit, a reception on Sept. 26 was held for the nine participants in the faculty exhibit, each of them using different mediums in their art. It was a chance to enjoy these instructors’ artistic skills and hear how they enjoy expressing themselves.

The exhibit goes from classic paintings, to some stunning woodwork, to pieces made of glass.

With the variety of items, visitors are sure to find something that catches their eye.

Nathan Orosco has many pieces at the show, the majority made of glass. Two look kind of like a mosaic, each featuring a lot of little pieces. He also has three glass flags at the show, with a wavy motion to them.

He doesn’t just have glass pieces, though. He also made two metal masks, made of bronze and aluminum, plus a piece that seemed to be a human spine.

Orosco’s pieces are expertly made, and real gentle on the eyes.

Matteo Neivert shows several beautiful paintings that leave a lasting impression. There are five nature-based pieces, painted on wood, and two pieces on canvas that looked like they were actively moving on the canvas. Neivert mainly used acrylic paint, but some of his paintings use more than just the acrylic.

His paintings feature mostly

Photo by Naethaniel Lile | The Advocate

Artwork by Georganne Watters on display in the center of the VIsual Arts Gallery.

warmer colors to feel inviting, which fit for the nature pieces.

On one of his canvases however, he used nothing but cold colors.

This gives off the feel of a cold climate and setting the piece was portraying.

Edie Overturf offers several pieces made from wood that really toy with the human mind. The great thing about art is how you can get someone to think, and his pieces often tap into the human psyche and focus on current events and arguments.

One piece touches on the weight of responsibility and effect of self-doubt on a single individual.

Another talks about the global warming argument: It’s presented as if it were on a movie announcement board, while in front of it was a small sign reading “fake news”.

Overturf ’s pieces are very psychologically inviting and fun to think about.

At the far end of the hall hang Richard Cutshall’s pieces, which could be described with words such as grotesque or disturbing. The

choices of color and shading can really cause discomfort in one’s mind: His pieces invoke a certain reaction – doing what all good art is supposed – creating a sort of psychological warfare, in this case.

Mary Girsch centers on digital art, more than paintings or sculptures. She played with circles and color palettes to create softon-the-eyes pieces that can also be interpreted as an optical illusion.

She has three on display at the show, each with different forms and palettes, that make for a less

atmosphere in the gallery.

Donna Ryan made her pieces from blocks of wood. Her subjects aren’t a specific person or specimen, but are of lovely landscapes. She used a subtractive style of art, which is when you start with a whole piece of your medium and take away from it to make a final product. Her mix of warm and cool colors stick out, and are unique in the exhibit.

Also on display are several beautiful vases and bowls that show a professional quality. Natalie Warrens has created stunning ceramic bowls, cups, and vases with a nice polish and choice of bright colors that make them really seem like they belong in your cupboards.

There also are many jars and vases made by John Hasegawa, which have a more earthy, gray feel to them. His pieces are wonderfully crafted, and look like they are sturdy and hard to break.

In the center of the gallery is a huge painting by retired Mt. Hood staff member Georganne Watters.

This painting a woman in a flowing dress, was stunning and was one of the main attractions at the showing.

The piece used pastel colors in combination with white to make it a bright piece that made your heart feel lighter.

The entire art show was filled with love and talent. It was great that the staff at MHCC is so committed to their personal joys as well as their teaching. Every piece at the show was unique and not like anything we’ve seen before. Art is a gateway to one’s passions and psyche.

The gallery is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

CREATIVE MINDS WILL LOVE ‘THE GOLDFINCH’ 4 out of 5 stars

Kel Buell

The Advocate Life can change in an instant. And a new film, “The Goldfinch,” does an incredible job illustrating this.

The movie portrays how a young Theodore Decker, played by Oakes Fegley, has his life sent spiraling out of control by a bombing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Young Theo’s mother is killed in the blast and in the aftermath, he finds himself in front PA G E 8

of “The Goldfinch,” the famous last painting by Carel Fabritius.

As he stands there, Theo finds himself taking the painting and putting it into his bag. The story follows Theo as he is taken in by the Barbers, a couple that were friends of his mother. Fast forward a few years and we now find an adult Theo, played by Ansel Elgort, working in an antiques shop with a close friend named Hobie, played

by Jeffery Wright, who has taught Theo everything he knows.

The rest of the movie closely follows Theo as he navigates through the maze his life has thrown

him into, all the time haunted by the shadow of the painting he stole when he was a boy.

You’ll have to watch the movie to find out the rest, but why should you?

This movie is perfect for anyone with a love of art and objects whose age spans centuries. The plot is fraught with drama, suspense, and more danger than you might expect, and has a way of showing the viewer the gritty reality of life.

For those that think this movie will be boring, worry not. The film has managed to create a delicate balance between drama and action,

winding them together in a way that very few movies can truly pull off. Watching Theo try and live his life can remind the viewer that life truly is what you make of it, assuming you’re willing to take a risk or two to get what you want.

If you’re looking for a way to fill a couple of empty hours this weekend, love art in all its forms, or are just looking for a movie that you can watch with a loved one and remind you how close the two of you really are, then give “The Goldfinch” a watch.

You won’t be disappointed.

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