The Advocate, Issue 11 - Dec. 9, 2016

the

advocate

Volume 51 Issue 11

December 9, 2016

Independent Student Voice of MHCC

Say goodbye to food options on campus PAGE 2 & 4

Mt. Hood hosting scholarship workshops in January PAGE 4

Winter is coming; know how to stay stylish and warm PAGE 6

Injuries hold Mt. Hood Women back PAGE 8

Picks by staff so you’re not bored this break

PAGE 5

2016 FIRST PLACE

General excellence Oregon Newspaper Publisher Association

OPINION

December 9, 2016

Editorial

Two student options close their doors Here’s something to chew on: The Reader’s Cup and the St. Helens Bistro are both closing next week.

For those of you who don’t know, the Reader’s Cup is the small coffee stand in the Library’s copier room and the Bistro is the small café on the top floor of the Allied Health wing at the opposite end of campus from the Vista dining room.

According to Debbie Derr, MHCC’s president, this is happening because students asked the school for these places but we just weren’t using them enough.

Lancer Hospitality, the company that covers all three outlets – Vista,

“We now have students who have to walk someplace off campus midwinter in order to get the food they need.”

Reader’s Cup and the St. Helens Bistro – decided it wasn’t profitable enough to keep them all open, and decided to close the café and the coffee stand down, leaving only Vista open as of Thursday.

This creates a real problem for a lot of students, because with those places closing down, the latest that students and staff can get (hot) food

from a location on campus is the Vista dining hall, which closes at 2:30 p.m. Or, for a cup of coffee, you now get just one extra hour at the Bookstore which closes its coffee stand at 3:30.

If you are taking late afternoon classes or night school however, you’re just out of luck getting food on campus after that time.

This is, of course, a downer for students who need to make sure that they aren’t hungry if they want to do their best in class. Countless studies have shown that a hungry student is a poor student, and we are left wondering why Lancer would be allowed to do this in the middle of the school year.

It’s understandable that businesses fail, and that not every coffee shop or cafe is going to last, but when you’re a business that is located at a school, then you need to make sure you can commit to being someplace for the entire school year.

If Lancer had doubts they could last in these two locations for the entire 2016-2017 school year, then it should have spoken with the school and either pulled from those locations last summer before the school year started, or held to a commitment to provide our students with food and coffee until next June.

We now have students who have to walk someplace off campus midwinter in order to get the food they need. This is not acceptable, and when the contract was negotiated with this loophole, allowing Lancer to quit after the Fall Term, MHCC definitely dropped the ball in failing our student body this way. (The

A student purchases a cup of coffee on the go at Reader’s Cup.

Advocate is working to obtain a copy of the contract.) We should be able to trust this nationwide company, who according to its website has been in business since the late 1970s and has many, many years’ experience in dealing with food and catering for community colleges.

We are told there is a “Food Services Committee” discussing options on what is to be done at this point. We’ve heard suggestions ranging from vending machines to food carts or trucks, which may be a great fit, but a vending machine doesn’t give you the option to do

hot food. It also doesn’t encourage that human touch that many people enjoy. The food cart or truck might also be a great alternative, but bring their own problems with issues such as Gresham city zoning laws and timing, as well as trying to find a good place to put a food truck easily accessible to students that doesn’t block or impede traffic.

Another option we learned of was possibly expanding the Bookstore’s food service, which might be a great choice. But unless expansion of the Bookstore’s food and drink options also include expanding the hours they are

Photo by Gloria Saepharn

available, this doesn’t do a thing to help the people who are losing the most with the disappearance of these two dining options.

Having food on campus in multiple locations is great, but the real challenge and real issue is making sure that those options are available for as long as there are students on campus.

One thing we all need to keep in mind, however, is that in any case, a business’s hours and products don’t matter if we don’t spend money there. So, if we get something new at Mt. Hood, we should make sure to support it.

the advocate Editor-in-Chief Gloria Saepharn Opinion Editor Donovan Sargent Creative Director, Arts & Entertainment Editor Matana McIntire Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor Megan Phelps Sports Editor Jamie George

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Graphic Design Team Svetlana Meshcheryakova Prisma Flores

Advisers Howard Buck Dan Ernst

Photo Editor Isaiah Teeny

Staff Writers Ryan Moore Monique Mallari Kyle Venooker Greg Leonov Brody Mathews Maddy Sanstrum Glenn Dyer Erik Walters Teela Bright Josh Faulk Otto Dawson Chelsea Menzie Leah Edwards

Assistant Photo Editor Davyn Owen Photo team Porcha Hesselgesser Avery Scott Chance Video team Cory Wiese Ad Manager Joseph Frantz

Cover Photo by Isaiah Teeny

Contact us!

E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.edu Phone: 503-491-7250 Website: advocate-online.net Twitter: @MHCCAdvocate Facebook: facebook.com/TheAdvocateOnline Instagram: @MHCCAdvocate #MHCCAdvocate Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030

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.

advocate-online.net

Eastern Oregon University Happy Holidays GET 4-year degree at the MHCC Gresham campus 2 years at MHCC + 2 years w/EOU @ MHCC = > 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in Education Contact Margie Webster at 503-491-7000 or above the library in 3308A

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NEWS

December 9, 2016

On-campus food choices disappearing soon

Photos by Avery Scott Chance

Both the Reader’s Cup and the St. Helens Bistro close for good on Dec. 15.

Donovan Sargent the advocate

In a surprise move, Lancer Hospitality – the catering company currently responsible for MHCC’s food service options (other than the Bookstore) – will be closing down both the Reader’s Cup and the St. Helens Bistro for good on Dec. 15.

According to Mt. Hood President Debbie Derr, the two food/coffee stands are being closed because they simply weren’t making enough money to warrant their continued operation. She said she is looking at what caused these closures.

“Between the St. Helens room, the Reader’s Cup and the Vista (main dining cafeteria), Lancer has not been able to support the number of people (employees) and the hours they are open,” Derr said.

“For them to continue to be here with us through the end of the school year, they had to close down the Reader’s Cup and St. Helens and only provide the services they have through the Vista dining room,” Derr said.

Lancer has been in charge of the school’s catering since the autumn of 2014, when it replaced Mt. Hood’s previous caterer, Chartwell, after

Have Information?

Contact us at: advocatt@mhcc.edu

The following dates in January will have workshops: Jan. 25 12 p.m. Learning about OSAC and essay help by Rho Theta 12:30 p.m. MHCC Foundation Scholarships/essay writing 5 p.m. Learning about OSAC and essay help by Rho Theta

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explained.

The closures may be a real problem for students who don’t have available transportation, since these places will no longer be an option for students who can’t easily leave the campus.

In the short term Derr recommends students and staff either make the trip to the Vista dining room during open hours, or for a quick cup of coffee and a snack, head for the campus Bookstore – operated separately.

Long-term, the school has a food services committee discussing and considering several options including new vending machines and the potential of bringing food trucks on campus, Derr said.

Barney’s Briefs

Scholarship workshops Mt. Hood Community College will be hosting scholarship workshops for students who could use help with their essay for an MHCC scholarship or have questions with Oregon’s Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) application.

The scholarship application will be open in early February 2017; there will also be workshops in February.

The workshops will be held in the Learning and Success Center, in Room 3300 above the Library.

that company’s five-year contract had expired. Since then, Lancer has been the primary provider for MHCC’s food at the Gresham campus, including catering for parties and other organized events around campus.

The announcement came as a shock to many Mt. Hood students and customers. The news prompted one student to say “The Bistro is where I get my breakfast most mornings. Now, I’m not sure what I’m going to do before class.”

Even more, Lancer’s retreat affects students in late-afternoon and evening, since St. Helens has served until 6 p.m. most weekdays.

That’s well after Vista closes at 2:30 p.m., and the Bookstore coffee stand follows, at 3:30 p.m.

The underlying problem seems to be that when MHCC initially looked into putting in a small café and food location in the Allied Health wing of the Academic Center (upstairs in Building 17), students had expressed a real interest in wanting food there. Unfortunately, it seems that what students and staff had originally asked for is not something they continued to want, judging by lackluster sales, low foot traffic and slow business at the St. Helens Bistro location,” Derr

5:30 p.m. MHCC Foundation Scholarships/essay writing Jan. 28 11 a.m. Learning about OSAC and essay help by Rho Theta 12 p.m. MHCC Foundation Scholarships/essay writing 1 p.m. Learning about OSAC and essay help by Rho Theta 2 p.m. MHCC Foundation Scholarships/essay writing Jan. 31 12 p.m. MHCC Foundation Scholarships/essay writing 5 p.m. MHCC Foundation Scholarships/essay writing Visit: mhcc.edu/scholarships for updated dates and information.

For more help, contact MHCC Alumni Outreach/Scholarship Specialist Marcy Gilchrist at: marcy.gilchrist@mhcc.edu.

- Gloria Saepharn

Barney is MHCC’s mascot, the Saint Bernard

MHCC election edition updates Of the five candidates with Mt. Hood ties featured in our election edition (Issue 6, Oct. 28), just one continues in the big leagues of the state government. Democrat incumbent Chris Corsek ran uncontested for the 49th District, keeping him a seat in the state House of Representatives. Stella Armstrong and Michael Calcagno, both running in the 50th District House race, lost to incumbent Democrat Carla Piluso, earning 30.8 and 18.8 percent, respectively, out of 23,560 total votes cast.

PSU open house

Right now, the main concern of Derr and the food committee, she said, is making sure students have a good way to get the food they need so they are not hungry during class, and that any food providers that MHCC may partner with in the future are aware that this is not like the average 9-to-5 business. Students and staff present different challenges than would be found trying to cater a typical company, or even just the general public, it’s clear.

Considering the amount of competition when it comes to food in the area surrounding MHCC, from fast food burgers, pizza and grocery stores, it means that any new food provider is going to have its work cut out for them.

George “Sonny” Yellot again lost the 48th District House campaign to Democrat incumbent Jeff Reardon, 62.9 percent to 28.1 percent. Tamie Tlustos-Arnold, who ran for the 25th District State Senate seat, came in second with 18,742 votes, or about 40.7 percent, roughly 6,600 votes less than Democrat incumbent Laurie Monnes Anderson, at 55.1 percent. For more information about other candidates and measures, visit sos.oregon.gov/voting-elections (see “history”).

- Maddy Sanstrum

Portland State University is hosting an open house for students looking into or planning on transferring from another college to PSU. The Transfer Open House will be held at the Smith Memorial Student Union at PSU on Dec. 13, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. This event will be an opportunity for any transfer student or applicant to visit the university, ask questions about various programs, and receive a tour of the campus.

PSU notes more than 60 percent of its students enroll after taking classes at other colleges and universities. Students can now register for the Open House online at pdx.edu under the “Visit” section.

- Ryan Moore

Nominate an outstanding support staff member 2017 Outstanding Support Staff awards are now open for nominations. The award will go to someone who is “an exceptional classified, confidential, or grantfunded support staff member who goes above and beyond his/her job duties, demonstrates a professional and positive attitude toward MHCC anbd exhibits excellent customer service skills.” Any nominations are preferred to be someone who knows the person and understands their line of work, as well as is personbable with them. For more information, contact Pam Benjamin@mhcc.edu.

The nomination forms can be found at: https://apps.mhcc.edu/forms/ OutstandingSupportStaffAward. aspx.

- Gloria Saepharn

advocate-online.net

Capturing diversity

Third annual Intercultural Photo Contest Megan Phelps the advocate

The Diversity Resource Center (DRC) has successfully completed this year’s Intercultural Photo Contest, with submitted photos encapsulating people’s own definition of culture.

There was a range of images, from food, to animals, to daily activities.

Compared to last year, there were a lot more digital submissions; out of around 70 photos, only six were print submissions. Photos were displayed in the DRC for two weeks, most shown on a PowerPoint presentation, given there was so much digital content.

There were a total of three winners announced, as well as two honorable mentions, from participants who included MHCC staff and students. They met for a special reception on Dec. 1.

Miranda Helm submitted three photos in this year’s contest, one of which achieved an honorable mention. Titled “Masuwe Primary School, Zimbabwe,” the photo showcases two boys joyfully swinging midair on a swing set, with several others playing in the background.

I was eager to hear about the

story and experiences Helm had during her stay in Africa. Helm explained that she went there to do volunteer work at an animal reserve for a month in the summer of 2015.

She and others spent one day out of the week at an elementary school to help build a classroom. During that time the children were having recess and would usually help out building the new classroom.

“There would be these 6-yearold boys that would come out and help us with the building, and they were all stronger than me and they all knew how to use the tools better than I did!” she said. “It’s just more relevant to their culture to know how to use those things.” It seemed like a worthwhile experience, especially the fact that while she ate dinner at the reserve, wild animals would be going about their day in their natural habitat.

The determination of contest winners depended on the criticism of three judges, one being Melinda Bullen, DRC coordinator who looked at the perspective of student life and diversity and inclusion.

There were two additional judges, one of them Eric Tschuy, who is the MHCC director for study abroad and speaks multiple languages and has lived in several places around the

world. He judged photos from the perspective of what was the cultural story being told in each submitted photo, with the ones chosen telling a really important cultural story.

The third judge was David Strohl, who has been a part of this process since the contest started two years ago. The MHCC photography instructor looked at each photo from a technical perspective.

The three chose the winners of the contest as follows: First place: Laura Lyons, for “Fex, Morocco Tannery”; Second place: JiGuang Li, for “Boy in Ugandan Kids Choir, Portland, Oregon”; Third place: Seneca Lexow for “Tocoa, Honduras”. Honorable mentions went to Nicci Harwood, for “Wild Horses in Warm Springs, Oregon” and to Helm for the Zimbabwe photograph.

I was impressed with the diverse collection of photos. It is great to know there is so much culture here at campus, and to realize that culture is all around us.

(Note: the winning photos cannot be displayed on the internet, for licensing/permission reasons; officials hope or are hoping that may be possible in the future.)

First

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Staff Picks The Adovcate’s reccommended must–have, must–view media choices for a great winter break “Die Hard” The original – because it’s the greatest Christmas movie ever.

Jamie George

Sports Editor

Gloria Saepharn

Editor-in-Chief

Prisma Flores

Graphic Designer

Photo Editor

Third

It’s a short read and perfect for anyone who hasn’t forgotten the child they once were.

J. Cole’s new album “4 Your Eyez Only” Cole’s new album drops today, Friday.

I have been waiting for this since he released his last album, “Forest Hill Drive” in 2014. Being one of the younger, more respected rappers in the game, I think this album will continue that streak.

“Rick and Morty”

Matana McIntire

Creative Director

Second

If you’re interested in romance shows, I’d recommend a Korean show on Netflix called “Mischievous Kiss.” It’s a comedic story that has its up and downs when it comes to drama and I like it, because it reminds me of my own quirky life.

“The Little Prince,” a novel by Antoine de SaintExupery

Isaiah Teeny

First place, “Fex, Morocco Tannery” by Laura Lyons; second place, “Boy in Ugandan Kids Choir, Portland, Oregon” by JiGuang Li; third place, “Tocoa, Honduras” by Seneca Lexow. BOTTOM RIGHT: “Masuwe Primary School, Zimbabwe” by Miranda Helm.

“Mischevious Kiss”

Donovan Sargent Opinion Editor

Want a show where you can watch every episode multiple times and still laugh your ass off? “Rick and Morty” is IT. Watch it!

Kingdom Hearts This winter break I’ll be replaying the “Kingdom Hearts” series. It’s a cross between the “Final Fantasy” series and Disney movies. If you are a fan of either one, you will enjoy hours of exploring the different worlds of Disney.It’s an absolute killer game!

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

December 9, 2016

Style guide for your Winter Term Chelsea Menzie the advocate

While we all love eating marshmallows, the goal is not to look like one. We all could use help around the holidays, not only on finals week, but in the closet, too.

So, to give you some motivation I’ve created the top five items you need to survive Winter Term.

We got the first taste of winter this week, so naturally we panicked and grabbed the biggest coat we own. It’s agreed we all need to stay warm, but with the help of this style guide we can also look fashionable.

Coats are usually the first clothing item you think of when you hear “winter.” So it’s an obvious priority to find the perfect coat to wear during winter. Let me introduce you to teddy bear coats. They are the type of coat that you could sleep in, they are so fluffy and soft. They also provide a lot of warmth, which is perfect if you did accidentally sleep in it and need to rush to your 8 a.m. class.

You could pair anything with a teddy bear coat, as they serve as the

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main focus of the look. These coats are becoming so popular you can find them almost anywhere at any price point, which is the best if on a budget. Some of my favorites are found at Nordstrom, Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters.

If you’re into sleeping, this next one is really for you: A beanie is the most functional and practical item on the list. While it can’t hide your dark circles from staying up all night doing a paper assigned four weeks ago, it can hide your unwashed hair.

Beanies are the best, because they not only keep your head and ears warm but can add a pop of color and texture to your look. Most importantly, they will become your best friend toward the end of the term preparing for finals.

The next accessory on the list, believe it or not, are pins. The little gems you can put onto sweaters or jackets to add that special touch. Not the same as the pins in your backpack right now; instead, the ones your grandmother used to wear – but better! They complement the teddy bear coats perfectly, they serve to

add a little sparkle and detail without trying too hard. All bundled up, you can’t see the usual jewelry you wear, so this is a step up, adding coat jewelry. I found the perfect pin from Nordstrom that you can also add to a holiday dress for pizazz.

One must-have everyone should already have in their closet is a good knit. If you own it in a classic color like beige, black or white, then you are set. We tend to reach for classic, easy-to-wear items that we can rely on when getting dressed in a hurry.

If you don’t have a reliable knit already, get to shopping!

The last item needed to get you through Winter Term in style is also the most on-trend thing right now – velvet.

I chose a great pair of velvet sneakers, with which you can subtly incorporate the trend to your wardrobe. Trendy, but still keeping with the easy collegiate style of Winter Term.

With these items you are sure to be fashionable and ready to tackle winter in style. Anything is possible, and don’t forget to be creative!

For more inspiration or to see full looks put together visit my favorite a p p , Instagram, and check out the following accounts:

@ThriftsandThreads, @ SomethingNavy, @Cfashionista, @MichelleTakeAim, and while you’re there check mine out. too: @ ChelseaMenzie.

I also recommend following your favorite retailer’s accounts so you can see how they style some of their latest pieces.

LEFT to RIGHT: Bertie-V Platform Sneaker

by Steve Madden; Blouson Sleeve Sweater

by Topshop; Pompom Hat by H&M; Longline Faux Shearling Jacket by Forever 21.

Web photos

advocate-online.net

Mt. Hood men represent on the road

SPORTS

Saints finish 2-0 in the Walla Walla Warrior Classic

Jamie George the advocate

The Saints men continued their solid start this basketball season at the Walla Walla Warrior Classic, in southeast Washington, by going 2-0. Last Friday night they topped Columbia Basin, 86-57. Then Saturday they beat Walla Walla, 96-91, bringing them to 5-2 on the season.

Even with their good start, the Saints knew they had things to work on during the weekend. One of those things was their defense.

Freshman point guard John Tibbs was frustrated with the Mt. Hood defense recently. After the Saints’ loss to Centralia on Nov. 25, he said, “Just like every game before... we have not played defense in the second half, allowing almost 50 points again. We keep letting our foot off the gas instead of getting to the finish line even faster.”

This week, Tibbs sung a different tune after the tournament.

“These were two of our better defensive games we have had so far,” he said after the weekend sweep.

In Game One against the Columbia Basin Hawks, Mt. Hood came out strong, closing out the first half holding a 49-29 lead. In the

second half, the Saints slowed down a little bit, but not enough for the Hawks to get back in the game, still outscoring them 37-28.

The final score, 86-57, said it all.

The Saints were clicking on both sides, offensively and defensively.

In Game Two against the Walla Walla Warriors, MHCC trailed at halftime, 45-43. The game was a battle but the Saints fought back and won the game by five, 96-91.

They outscored the Warriors 5346 in the second half. They could have had a much larger victory but they allowed 20 points in the final four minutes to Walla Walla. Tibbs called the Saints’ late lapse their weakest point defensively over the weekend, and said the team still has room for improvement. He went on to say, “We are still doing a poor job overall, but we made great steps forward of progress this weekend.”

Starting forward Luke Anderson was really happy with how the Saints played.

“I think our game against Walla Walla was the first time we played two good halves of basketball... we defended in the second half, and hit foul shots down the stretch,” he said.

Overall, Mt. Hood saw some

Photo by Davyn Owen

Sophomore guard Elijah Fuller finishes inside against Blue Mountain Community College on Nov. 20. Fuller averaged 15.5 points, three rebounds and three assists per game in the Walla Walla Warrior Classic tournament in Washington.

strong performances this weekend from its starters. Forward Cody Thompson, who stands 6 foot, 6 inches, averaged 23 points per game and four rebounds. Anderson averaged 13 points and led the team in rebounding at 11.5, while he

blocked two shots. Shooting guard Elijah Fuller averaged 15.5 points, three rebounds, and three assists.

And Tibbs averaged 10.5 points, four assists, and 2.5 steals.

The Saints play tonight and Saturday in Ontario, on the Or-

egon-Idaho border, first against College of Southern Idaho and then against Treasure Valley Community College. Over Winter break, they will play Dec. 15-17 in the Spokane, Washington, portion of the NWAC crossover tournament.

The wait is over: Ducks ‘tag’ their new head coach Jamie George the advocate

After a week of silence, the Ducks have found their man: Willie Taggart will be the next head football coach of the University of Oregon, replacing recently fired Mark Helfrich.

Taggart is out of the University of South Florida. He’s an offensiveminded coach and runs a spread offense. He’s coming in as a proven team re-builder, with the track record to prove it.

Coming to the Pac-12 Conference will be nothing new for Taggart; he was the running back coach for Jim Harbaugh’s Stanford teams, back in 2007-09.

He then built seven years of experience as a head coach, with a record of 40-45. His first three years were at Western Kentucky (where he starred at quarterback from 199598), where he went 16-20. It was a strong showing, as the team was in a rough place when he showed up

Web photo

New Oregon head coach Willie Taggart

and he helped rebuild them. In 2012 he left to coach South Florida where he went 24-25 in his four years – no small feat considering that when he showed up they were coming off a 3-9 season.

Last season, Taggart led USF to the Miami Beach Bowl game, where they lost to his former team, Western Kentucky. This season he led them to the Birmingham Bowl game (vs. South Carolina on Dec.

29, in a contest he won’t coach) after a 10-2 season.

If nothing else Taggart has a proven track record of rebuilding teams. But in rebuilding, it took a year of coaching at each school to get in his groove. He went 2-10 in each of his first years at Western Kentucky and South Florida. Does that mean Ducks fans should be concerned?

Possibly, but the Ducks are in a much better place already than at his two previous stints. Meaning if things go well, he may be able to get the ball rolling right away.

But there is a reality that it could take him a few years before things get moving, considering he’s bringing a new style of coaching. And he has to decide whether to bring back the long-time coaching staff of U of O. Most coaches come in and clean house, bringing in their own guys.

But this staff has a good connection with the fan base and some fans want them to stay.

It’ll be interesting to see how

things play out, but one thing is known: Oregon has decided what direction they are headed. Taggart

is not the big-name coach that many fans wanted, but he is who the school chose.

Don’t mind writing?

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SPORTS

December 9, 2016

Women Saints face toughest battle yet

Team loses back-to-back games with thinning roster

Jamie George the advocate

The Mt. Hood women were understaffed and overworked last weekend at the Walla Walla Warrior Classic, in southeast Washington.

Thanks largely to a slew of injuries, the Saints went 0-2, losing to the Columbia Basin Hawks 81-62, then to the Walla Walla Community College Warriors, 64-27.

Mt. Hood played with just six players in the tournament. It almost felt like last year, when the

women’s team had just five healthy players for nearly the entire season, the “Fab Five”.

This time, freshman guard Alexa Mulford was out with a broken nose and concussion. Sophomore wing Chloe Cummins was out with a broken rib and nose. Freshman wing Isabella Olvera was down with a lower ankle sprain. And freshman post Allison Primeau was hurt with a sprained ankle, although she’s hoping to be back playing next week.

All this left Mt. Hood to battle over the weekend with just one player to come off the bench. It definitely

had a major impact.

“We lost the first game because we were dog tired,” said Primeau.

They (the Hawks) had a really nice bench. And after a while we just couldn’t keep up.”

The box score tells the story perfectly. In the first game the Saints entered halftime trailing Columbia Basin only 39-32. The game was far from over, and Mt. Hood proved that in the third quarter, pulling to within four points to start the fourth. That’s when things got out of hand. The Saints’ legs were tired and their bodies were done. They got outscored

If you missed it...

Oklahoma City Thunder star point guard Russell Westbrook posted his sixth straight triple-double Monday against the Atlanta Hawks. He’s now just one shy of tying Michael Jordan’s seven straight. Jordan has the longest streak since 1989. Westbrook is now averaging a tripledouble on the season, with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists per game – though he is shooting only .426 from the field.

Last Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks put a smashing on the Carolina Panthers, beating them 40-7. But what was unusual about the game was that Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was benched on the first series of the game. Which led to the very first play of the game being an interception, thrown by backup quarterback Derek Anderson. After the game, we found out he was benched because of a dress code violation: Newton didn’t wear a necktie on the team flight in.

Rookie sensation Dak Prescott has led the Dallas Cowboys to a 11-1 start, with 11 straight wins. And the Cowboys are now the first NFL team to clinch a playoff spot. It’s becoming clearer each week why they chose to stick with the fourth-round pick.

The Los Angeles Rams extended head coach Jeff Fisher’s contract for two more years. A bit of a surprise, considering the Rams are 4-8 and don’t appear to be improving. More surprising is that rumors continue to float that his job is still on the line, even after the extension... though the Rams are saying the deal was signed weeks ago.

Chicago Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman is looking for a six-year contract, but rumor has it the Cubs haven’t shown any interest in bringing him back with that kind of contract. Chapman played a huge part in helping the Cubs win their first World Series since 1908.

- Jamie George Web photo

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Photo by Davyn Owen

Freshman guard Makenzie Whitney pulls down a rebound on Nov. 20 in the Saints’ 67-43 win over Edmonds. She had a game high of nine points in Walla Walla.

25-10 in the fourth, to lose 81-62.

Still, not all the blame can go on Mt. Hood’s lack of a bench, as the Saints committed 25 turnovers.

Freshman point guard Jessica Parker explained why: “They were coached well on defense and we were not prepared for the kind of ‘D’ they played.

We hadn’t seen it yet.” She said the Saints need to focus on executing plays better in the future.

Game Two against Walla Walla didn’t go much better than the first for Mt. Hood. The Saints committed 19 turnovers and trailed big at halftime, 38-5. The Saints never came back from that large deficit, but did close out the game scoring 22 points in the second half, to lose 64-27.

Freshman point guard Brooke Plecker pointed to the fact that the Saints are missing two key parts.

“Two of our pretty dominant players were out. Chloe usually adds like 12 or 15 points and she was out. And Alexa is pretty defensively solid,” said Plecker. “We didn’t have our two intimidators that why we lost.” She added that turnovers were also a problem, “too high for our ratio of points. We had way too many turnovers.”

According to Plecker and Parker, Monday’s practice was tougher after the rough weekend. The Saints

worked on trying to deal with defensive pressure.

Parker said, “We were more intense. We talked more, and (head) Coach (John Hawley) pushed us where we needed to be pushed.” She explained that when the Saints talk more as a team on the court, they play a lot better. They are going to use this as a learning experience, so next time when they get pressured by the defense they will communicate, helping to prevent turnovers.

Freshman point guard Brooke Plecker wants to see the team carry itself stronger. “We need to keep our composure, and try to lead the team and be more boisterous,” she said of the point guard duo.

It’s early still in the season, and NWAC conference play doesn’t begin until Jan. 4 against Clark College. Which means the Saints, now 4-3 on the year, have a lot of time to grow as a team. The hope is they don’t have a repeat of last year’s Fab Five, a possibility that right now does seem to have some of the players a little concerned.

Plecker said she feels positive about the team’s outlook. “I think it depends on each and everybody’s will power,” she said. “What do they want to do? I think we could be more than .500 this season.”