Gresham, Oregon | November 16, 2012 | Volume 48, Issue 9
advocate
The independent student voice of Mt. Hood Community College
the
WWW. ADVO CATE -O NLI NE . NE T
Photo by Jonathon Long/The Advocate
NWAACC tournament
The Saints swept Wenatchee Valley (25-17, 25-16, 25-17) at their opener on Thursday. The Saints are hosting the NWAACC tournament, which goes from Thursday through Sunday. For more information, see page 8.
Tutoring Center teaches students and tutors alike Jeff Hannig and Kayla Tatum The Advocate
MHCC’s Tutoring Center is a center for learning: Students learn from tutors, tutors learn from lead tutors, and some tutors even go on to become learning specialists. The drop-in center, on the upper floor reached by stairs inside the Library, has been helpful for many students over the years and has inspired some students to become a tutor. Some tutors who currently work in the tutoring center have once been in the shoes of the MHCC students they now help. During his freshman year at MHCC, math tutor Sebastian Baldivieso used the tutoring center for help in his coursework. He now is a junior at Portland State University and is involved in PSU’s math program. He said he became interested in becoming a math tutor during his first year at MHCC: “I eventually asked, ‘What were the requirements?’ ” Although Baldivieso attends college in downtown Portland, he continues to dedicate his time to tutor MHCC students in all levels of math. “I like helping people. I just want to give back the knowledge that I gained,” he said. That includes helping students cope with exams, during and at the end of courses. “People struggle at math during midterm times, because as you advance in the course, you start acquiring new information. And as it progresses and the midterm comes, you kind of forget it,” Baldivieso said. While midterms and final exams can be stressful, there are many success stories for MHCC math students, he said: “I’ve seen a lot of people start at Math 60, 65 (who) now are taking calculus and statistics.” The tutoring center commonly serves as a place where students do homework. Alex Brown, a second-year MHCC student, is one of many students tutored by Baldivieso. “I do a little bit of studying, running through everything I’ve learned,” Brown said. “I do my homework here, because if I have any questions I can get my answers from
See “Center” on Page 4
Former dean and instructor remembered as a key role model Contributed Photo
Cameron Miller The Advocate
Former MHCC dean and instructor Robert Wesley died Nov. 8 due to lung cancer-related illness, the campus community learned this week. Besides teaching, Wesley served as dean of the science division and as vice president of instructional services before he retired in the mid-1990s. Current instructors and staff members said Wesley’s chief legacy was that he was student-oriented and always strived to exceed goals and standards. Brenda Brady, IT project & portfolio manager for MHCC, worked alongside Wesley. “He was a very supportive person and kind of a mentor in some way,” she said. “He was all about helping people. We talk a lot about having the students at the center of our decisions, and he verbalized
Wesley, center, and his fellow science departments associates.
that a lot.” Not only did Wesley have this effect on staff and his colleagues, but also on students. Karen Reynolds, now the MHCC en-
TURKEY UP, FOLKS THERE ARE NO CLASSES WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NEXT WEEK AND NO ISSUE OF THE ADVOCATE IN OBSERVANCE OF THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
vironment health and safety manager, was once his student. She praised his teaching style. “He had this ability to be totally focused on you, he had a very good grasp of
LET THE LINES BEGIN WITH BLACK FRIDAY AROUND JUST AROUND THE CORNER, STUDENTS AND RETAIL VETERANS WEIGH IN. page 5
where you were at and what your potential was,” she said. Wesley came to MHCC as a part-time instructor in the early 1970s when the college was beginning to grow. His work helped lift the reputation of the science department. According to an e-mail sent by a long-time friend and colleague, Gil Albelo, “the division gained a reputation for excellence in teaching, with a student-oriented faculty that performed beyond expectations.” Albelo currently is a part-time instructor at MHCC and worked with Wesley for many years. He grew to admire not only his colleague’s career, but also his character. “I admired Bob’s diligence, his commitment to excellence in the classroom, his creativity. He helped to create an environment in which instructors felt a need to go the extra mile in order to create the best learning
See “Wesley” on Page 3
CROSS COUNTRY: WOMEN TAKE 5TH OVERALL; MEN TAKE 9TH page 8