The Advocate, Issue 14, January 25, 2013

Gresham, Oregon | Januar y 25, 2013 | Volume 48, Issue 14

advocate the

The independent student voice of Mt. Hood Community College

www. advocate -online . ne t

MHCC responds to increased national violence with new safety plan Mike Mata

The Advocate

Responding to increased violence across the country, MHCC is busy updating its emergency scenario response procedures with a turn to the “run, hide or fight” mentality.

See “Safety” on Page 9

As barrels cool around the country, the debate on gun control heats up President Obama came out swingin last week with new proposals for gun control in the wake of a series of bloody shootings, agitating both sides of the congressional aisle.

Graphic by Logan Scott/The Advocate

See “Editorial” on Page 2

Anonymous

rent

player profile:

Cyber Vigilantes

the first three profiles of the leads in the upcoming winter musical.

alaskan import colby mitchell adds talent, leadership to a young men’s basketball team.

or

?

CYBER TERRORISTS

pages 3

pages 6-7

page 12

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Opinion Jan. 25, 2013

Editorial: We need to rethink the role of guns in America Continued from page 1

The proposals include: universal background checks for all gun sales; a renewed and stronger assault weapon ban; limiting magazine sizes to 10 rounds; banning possession of armor-piercing rounds by anyone other than police officers or military personnel; increasing penalties for gun trafficking; increasing the ranks of police officers; expanding mental health programs; and providing $30 million in grants for public schools to put together emergency response plans.

Obama also included a set of executive actions, meaning actions he as the president can take without going through Congress.

The actions include: a presidential memorandum that requires federal agencies to make “relevant data” available for background checks; having the attorney general review categories of people banned from owning guns; providing a federal letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to private gun sellers on proper background checks; reviewing safety standards on gun locks and safes; tracing guns confiscated in criminal investigations; providing police officers, first responders and school officials with training for armed attack scenarios; developing model emergency response plans for schools, higher education institutions and houses of worship; and clarifying to health care providers the scope of mental health services that Medicaid covers.

The Advocate believes these proposals are remarkably reasonable.

There seems to be a minority of people who would agree with this statement, or at least a minority who are willing to be vocal about it.

Bipartisan resistance has come out strong, zeroing in on how unlikely it seems for this to pass in both houses of Congress.

Yes, folks, bipartisan support against the gun control proposals. Senate Democratic Majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada, himself a gun owner, has shown reluctance to try and pass the proposals in the form of a bill, citing uncertainty over whether it would pass in the House of Representatives. This is saying something, when the notoriously fractious Congress seems to be of a similar mind on such a controversial topic.

However, Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Esty of Connecticut is behind Obama and increased gun control. The Democratic gov-

ernor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, who is also a gun owner, signed into law increased gun regulations on Tuesday, the first since the Newtown shootings in Connecticut last month. The New York regulations are similar to Obama’s federal proposals: They strengthen the state’s existing assault weapons ban, limit the number of bullets in magazines and strengthen rules for the mentally ill that include reports on any harmful behavior tendencies.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has Obama in its sights over his strategy.

The group’s outcry has included comments about how the proposals ignore the nation’s domestic security, especially children.

In addition, the NRA released an attack ad even before Obama’s proposals were unveiled, calling him an “elitist hypocrite,” citing that while he supports stricter gun control and is skeptical about allowing armed security in schools nationwide, his children are protected by armed guards. It also links Obama’s desire for the wealthy to pay “their fair share” of taxes to his “hypocrisy” over armed school guards.

However, this advertisement brings up several key points that go to show that the NRA is badly overreaching: There is no link between Obama wanting to make the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes and gun control, except perhaps in the minds of wealthy, gun-owning conservatives; outside groups might seek to abduct the president’s family to use against him and the nation, hence the fact that presidential family members are all protected by Secret Service agents; and, finally, that the NRA seems to be quite fond of using children to do the fighting for them, in this case by alluding to the fact that Obama is putting the nation’s children at risk while his are snug and safe, when in reality his daughters are probably exposed to more danger on account of their close relation to the president than is the average child.

Another point of contention in this whole gun control debate is this: Why the hell does the average citizen need to own an assault rifle?

Most proponents of the Second Amendment argue that gun control laws attack the amendment, which states, ” A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free

State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

However, one must remember that the Second Amendment was written in the late 18th century and right after the nation had revolted from Great Britain and had to deal with hostile nations on almost all sides.

There also were no assault rifles or widespread gun-related massacres like those our nation currently seems to experience with disturbing regularity. Now, while the drug cartels are not a threat to sniff at, there is no foreign army poised on the U.S. borders waiting to invade, rape and pillage.

Thus, while the proposals would infringe upon an American’s right to own an assault rifle, they would not infringe upon the right to own other guns, such as pistols or hunting rifles. If someone argues for the need of assault rifles on account of personal safety, it would be curious see what kind of threats they are facing. For example, no one needs to be able to unload a 30-round clip into a burglar from 600 yards away.

The issue of gun control is a long and complicated one, but in light of recent national events, it would seem to be irresponsible for the nation as a whole not to take actions against repeat tragedies. While some claim there are flaws within the proposals, at least Obama has decided to take a stand and offer a plan to change the way things are handled in relation to gun ownership and gun-related emergencies. While many citizens will still claim that gun control is not an end-all-be-all solution, it’s at least a step in the right direction.

They said it “It’s time for the president, I think, to stand up and lead and tell this country what we should do.”

-New York City Mayor Bloomberg “One of the problems with this debate; it’s become a values war. It’s perceived as urban versus rural. And, frankly, it’s perceived as an attack on the lifestyle of rural people by urban people. And, I admire Mayor Bloomberg enormously – there’s probably no politician I agree with more – but it’s counterproductive to have him as the spokesperson for the gun law movement. There has to be more respect and more people, frankly, from rural and red America who are participants in this.”

-New York Times columnist David Brooks

the advocate Co-Editors-in-Chief

News Editor

Reporters

John Tkebuchava & Mike Mata

Mike Mata

Daniele Caldwell Jackie Garrity Hayden Hunter Shaun Lutz Aaron Marshall Cameron Miller Kayla Tatum

Associate Editor Kylie Rogers

Living Arts Editor Shelby Schwartz

Assistant Living Arts Editor Danny Perez-Crouse

Opinion Editor Jeff Hannig

Sports Editor John Tkebuchava

Copy Editors Kylie Rogers & Dorothy Ocacio

Webmaster Logan Scott

Ad Manager Katelyn Hilsenbeck

Photo Editor Jeff Hannig

Photographer Jonathon Long

Advisers Howard Buck Dan Ernst Bob Watkins

E-mail advocatt@mhcc.edu 503-491-7250 (Main) 503-491-7413 (Office) 503-591-6064 (Fax) www.advocate-online.net

Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030

What should be the highest priority for gun control reform?

1 Limit the capacity of rounds in a magazine 1Stricter regulations on gun sales at gun shows 1Ban on assault rifles and high power ammunition 1More thorough mental health and criminal background

www.advocate-online.net

Correction In the Jan 11 issue of the Advocate in an article on inclement weather, the MHCC radio station was incorrectly listed as a source of the status of the campus. If the campus is closed, the radio station will also be closed.

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Opinion

the advocate

Anonymous: cyber vigilantes or cyber terrorists?

3

Lawlessness will never replace justice

Offers chance for unfiltered justice

Little did Guy Fawkes know back in London in 1606 on the day of his execution for plotting to blow up Parliament that a stylized version of his goateed likeness would one day become the outward symbol of resistance, protest and popular justice in the form of Anonymous.

Anonymous, the populist “hacktavist” collective, is a loose group of individuals from various Internet imageboards and forums, notably 4chan, who band together to protest, hack and inhibit those they as a collective deem to be harmful to the masses while seeking to inform aforementioned masses about topics. A Mike Mata common slogan for the group is, “We are AnonyThe Advocate mous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”

In this manner, Anonymous acts as the Batman of the Internet, a form of vigilante justice that seeks to fill in where they perceive that the legal authorities are faltering.

The crux of the issue with Anonymous’ activities lies in one of the central themes of their aims: an uncensored Internet free of restraints. However, while Anonymous is fairly anarchic, they take upon themselves the responsibility of deciding what is worthy of existing on the Web and who is worthy of punishment.

Sound a tad confusing? Take the infamous Project Chanology from 2008 and the point will become clear.

In early 2008, Anonymous took issue with the Church of Scientology for taking down an interview of then-nearly rabid Scientologist acolyte Tom Cruise. Anonymous claimed this action was a form of Internet censorship, especially when the Church started threatening YouTube if it didn’t remove the video (hint, it did.) Thus, Anonymous initiated Project Chanology, a series of cyber attacks upon the Church’s operations: denial-of-service attacks (DDoS), which attacks the user’s site and functionality; black faxes; prank calls; and then, getting its tax-exempt status investigated by the IRS and mounting a non-violent physical protest outside Church of Scientology offices.

This was one of the first large-scale and highly public instances of Anonymous’ actions, which went on to include participation in the Occupy movements, the hacking of various government sites, including the FBI and Department of Justice, and several cyber attacks on the Pentagon.

While there may have been merit in the spirit of the attack, these attacks could have taken on too much collateral damage to be effective. For example, attacking the FBI and the Pentagon could have resulted in major security breaches or threats while any information leaked could affect innocent citizens, such as Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks when that group released personal information on guards at Guantanamo Bay. Anonymous’ other actions provide still another perspective, with attacks on those governments persecuting LGBTQ members as well as the horrifically offensive Westboro Baptist Church. The attacks on the Westboro Baptist Church, as well as Project Chanology, were directed, according to self-appointed Anonymous spokesmen, with the ultimate aim of destroying both organizations, and featured the hacking of their websites and the release of personal information.

So, yes, there have been ups and downs with Anonymous. However, the idea of so much power in a rogue group’s hands should leave more than a few citizens a tad worried. While Anonymous may be on the front line as a watchdog, they ought to leave the doling out of justice to real authorities.

What do you think of when you see the word vigilante? A caped billionaire with a raspy voice?

What you probably don’t picture is a middleaged, average-looking Joe, face illuminated by a computer screen. Rather than a mask, this hero hides his identity through the ambiguity of the Internet. Instead of superpowers, he brings with him a knack for hacking — and a legion of likeminded companions.

I am referring, of course, to the famous (or infamous, depending on how you view it) hacktivist group “Anonymous.”

John Tkebuchava When looking at how people will react to the The Advocate actions of Anonymous, they are usually divided into two groups.

First, there are those who support the group’s deeds, though they may be illegal, and may even call themselves “fans” of Anonymous. The second group, however, tends to condemn Anonymous’ actions and ask the old question of “Who do they think they are?” and just put them off as cyber-terrorists.

But when you look at some of the deeds of this hacktivist group, you can’t help but smile. For example, the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., notorious for picketing the funerals of dead American soldiers, announced that it would be picketing the funeral of Aaron Schwartz, a famous Internet activist, after he committed suicide several weeks ago.

But Anonymous, outraged by the church group, announced they would retaliate should it go through with its plan. Apparently intimidated, the church stepped down.

Also, early this year, the group leaked a video of several high school football players in Steubenville, Ohio, bragging about allegedly raping and urinating on a teenage girl. Soon after, several arrests were made. Before the video leak, there was a lack of action against the boys, and many observers even accused the very “football-oriented” community of trying to cover up the case.

This, and many other events, such as hacking into a pedophilic website server and releasing thousands of users’ names, have been added to the long Anonymous resume.

Despite the negative feelings some may have against the group, what’s interesting to note is that in film, everyone in the audience always loves the superhero.

But, if you say you love freedom, you cannot truly hate vigilantism. After all, that is how revolutions are born. Hell, that’s even how America was born. Early Americans decided enough was enough and decided to take up arms and take matters into their own hands.

They stood against the establishment and the “law” in order to fight injustice and a tyrant and his broken system.

That’s exactly what Anonymous is doing.

Anonymous is not perfect, mind you. It is comprised of humans, after all, and some of their actions are questionable, much like those who run this government.

But what the government has that Anonymous doesn’t is a lot of red tape. And so, Anonymous is able to cut right to the core of a problem rather than having to sift through the paperwork.

And when they get it right (which they usually do), I don’t see the problem in that.

Illustration by Jeff Hannig / The Advocate

4

News Jan. 25, 2013

The Advocate file photo

News Briefs Mandatory orientation for families interested in hosting exchange students Tonight is the mandatory orientation for host families interested in hosting Japanese students during their visit to MHCC next month.

Fifteen Japanese students will be here from Feb. 16 through March 3.

Those families interested in hosting an exchange student should contact part-time Japanese instructor Yoko Sato by her e-mail yoko.sato@ mhcc.edu. Sato is also a representative from Ryukoku University, the school the exchange students are coming from.

Some of the requirements for hosting a student are: a petless household; an individual room for the student is preferable while a shared bathroom is okay; and transportation of the guest student to and from campus for English as a Foreign Language classes from 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday if public transportation is not a viable option.

Other requirements include: providing daily breakfast and dinner for the exchange student; the host family must speak English while the exchange student is present; and more than one family member must live in the household.

There will also be several field trips on Saturdays so transportation to the campus will also be necessary. Host families will be allowed to join one of two of the field trips according to Sato.

Criminal background checks on host families are required.

— Mike Mata

Instructor to lecture on prehistoric art The Chauvet cave art of southern France is the subject of a lecture and slide show today from noon to 1 p.m. in Room AC1310.

The information will come from an article on the subject that Andy Gurevich, a part-time instructor of literature, philosophy and religion, wrote for the March 2013 edition of Popular Science.

According to Gurevich, the Chauvet Cave discovery is the earliest find in human art, dating to around 32,000 years ago.

“I believe I have been able to explain some of the more mysterious and archaic elements of the wall art from the perspective of cultural mythology and paleo-religion,” said Gurevich in an all-staff e-mail Wednesday night.

He added the cave holds clues to “reform our world along the lines of empathy and compassion instead of competition and greed” due to their setting in the time of the “birthplace of consciousness and religion.”

— Mike Mata

Red Cross blood drive gives community chance to donate on campus Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union.

Blood drive to provide opportunity to be ‘hero’ MHCC will host a Red Cross Blood drive Tuesday and Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union.

The goal is to have approximately 120 donors.

Appointments for donors are preferred and are available by e-mail or in the Student Activities Board (SAB) office until the day before they wish to donate. Walk-in donations are accepted only if there is an opening.

Samantha Stoecker, SAB Wellness Program coordinator, said anyone wishing to donate should arrive prepared: “Definitely make sure you get plenty of rest, drink tons of water, (I) can’t emphasize that enough,” she said. “Eat a really good breakfast in the morning” in order to prevent fainting and keep

your iron level up, she said.

After a donation, donors are welcome to sit and enjoy snacks provided by the Red Cross. ”Every blood donation has the potential to save up to three lives,” said Stoecker. “It’s just a really good way to be able to help out and be a hero, without actually having to put your life on the line.”

MHCC students who sign up through SAB will be entered in a drawing for one of three $10 MHCC Bookstore gift cards.

E-mail sabwpc@mhcc.edu to schedule your appointment.

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5

News

the advocate

30 schools to visit campus for Oregon Transfer Day

Photo by Jeff Hannig/The Advocate

Slice of Life

Oregon Transfer Day assists students and non-students on their mission to further their education Hayden Hunter The Advocate

MHCC will host its annual Oregon Transfer Day (OTD) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, with 30 colleges represented in the Vista Dining Center.

OTD helps students find out how far they can go academically, whether that is carried out at MHCC or another university.

Of the 30 colleges attending OTD, students can expect to see the usual local schools, such as the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Washington State University and Portland State University. Among other institutions represented are Hawaii Pacific University and the University of Idaho. OTD is open to all students and the public.

“OTD is designed to promote the transfer process from Oregon community colleges to four-year institutions by providing an informative, casual, and onthe-spot fair with admissions representatives from various public and private four-year universities and colleges within the state of Oregon and a few from surrounding states,” said Sydney Eustrom, manager of Student Outreach and High School Services.

Academic Adviser Calvin Walker said, ”The whole thing about transfer day is that you are going

to find your next place to go, find where you’re going to land after MHCC. “As good as the programs here are, I encourage everyone to still get a four-year degree, because the more degrees you have the better off you’ll be,” he said.

For students who plan to transfer but are a few credits shy of their associate degree, there is still the option of the reverse degree, which would allow them to complete the necessary credits at another school and retroactively earn their associate degree from MHCC. This also applies to students who transfer for financial aid issues.

OTD is an annual event, one that MHCC has hosted for several years. “With many MHCC Saints on board to transfer to a four-year institution, OTD offers up a convenient opportunity to get our students informed about, and prepped for, the transfer process,” Eustrom said.

OTD is a free event, open to the public and not limited to MHCC students. All four-year institutions that participate meet Oregon accreditation standards.

“All anybody needs to come to the Oregon Transfer Day is an aspiration, or even just a question about transferring to a university,” Walker said.

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Revenue drop has MHCC activities facing large deficits John Tkebuchava The Advocate

The MHCC co-curricular program is facing an approximate $70,000 deficit and the athletic programs could be facing up to a $29,703 deficit for the 2013-14 fiscal year, according to Student Finance Council reports.

A sharp drop in revenues from the current year, which fluctuate with fees generated from enrollment, have resulted in a budget decrease from $1,330,899 to $903,000 for the 2013-14 year.

The Student Finance Council had a surplus in its budget for the current year after a surge in its revenue, though the programs may need to reduce spending to fill the gaps of the lost revenue for next year.

The MHCC Student Finance Council met Jan. 15 for the first time at an orientation meeting, beginning the process of allocation of student fee revenues between the athletic and co-curricular programs.

The finance council will distribute the $903,000 to the athletic programs as well as co-curricular programs such as the Associated Student Government (ASG), the Forensics club and KMHD2.

In the 2013-14 budget proposals, the athletic programs are requesting a total of $410,103, a decrease from $628,171 from the current year.

The co-curricular programs are requesting $529,413, down from this year’s budget of $592,178. But the co-curricular programs will receive $460,000 of the $903,000, available, $69,013 less than the requested total.

As of Thursday, the athletic programs had $380,400 available to them, which is $29,703 more than the requested budget.

The contingency fund is unspent money carried over from the current year’s budget that is typically split between the programs in the next year. The purpose of the contingency fund is to help cover losses incurred from variations in enrollment and to still allow program spending.

“The idea behind the contingency is to prevent over-budgeting,” said Jonathen Gates, the ASG director of finance.

Should the athletic programs choose not to use or only spend a portion of the contingency fund, the money would carry over to 2014-15.

The athletic programs were considering using some of the contingency toward funding of resurfacing the track, which is several decades old.

“These funds were put into the contingency fund to consider for completing a larger project that our student representatives will ultimately make the decision as to how those dollars are spent,” said Kim Hyatt, the dean of athletics.

“Resurfacing the track is one of the options that has been discussed and I am sure will be near the top of the list again,” said Hyatt.

“There are a lot of projects that need to be attended to and with limited resources, it is difficult to accomplish all of them,” she said.

“It will be a great discussion and we welcome the input of all students as to how they would like to see these funds put to use,” said Hyatt.

Following the finance council meetings, two open forums will be held to receive feedback from students on the details of the budget.

After the forums, the budget will be passed to the ASG executive cabinet for approval. If approved, the budget will then be sent to the district board for final evaluation and approval.

The next finance council meeting will be Tuesday in the Lake Room of the Student Union. Co-curricular programs will meet at 4-5 p.m. to discuss their portion of the budget, and then the athletic programs will meet from 5-6 p.m. to discuss their budget.

The council will continue to meet every week after the Tuesday meeting until a consensus is reached on all line items.

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Living Arts Jan. 25, 2013

MHCC’s winter musical this year is “RENT,” the Broadway rock musical set in lower eastside New York City.

RENT shows are Feb. 22, 23 and March 1, 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the College Theater and at 2 p.m. on Feb 24 and March 3.

The cast of “RENT” has been rehearsing since Jan. 7 and will be ready to please a crowd when the production opens Feb. 22.

Over the next several weeks The Advocate will highlight each of the eight lead characters.

This week three MHCC students will be featured: Elizabeth Sanchez, who will portray Maureen; Cole Hampton, who will play Roger; and Alex Giorgi, who plays the role of Benny.

The Advocate

Outgoing and courageous, Maureen seems to be the polar opposite of the actress who portrays her.

Self-described as a shy, 22-year-old funeral service major, Elizabeth Sanchez is looking forward to playing “outgoing” Maureen, her second lead role, in MHCC’s upcoming production of “RENT.” Sanchez moved to Oregon from Albuquerque, N.M., in late December 2009 for the funeral service program but due to the restricted entry program, “I finally got in this year,” said Sanchez.

“Funeral and theater are completely opposite. You go to the funeral room and everyone is very independent,” said Sanchez. “I’m usually the quiet type and in theater, since everyone is so vocal, I try to be more vocal. I really try. It’s definitely out of my comfort zone, but I try.”

Sanchez has a full plate with 20 credits this term and rehearsals four nights a week.

As for time management, Sanchez said, “I am still working on it. My classes, seriously, are from 8 (a.m.) to 4:30 (p.m.) What I do is I color coordinate everything. I cannot learn without coloring. I have to highlight everything.”

But it’s a different story when it comes to her “RENT” script. She hasn’t been able to highlight the script because it must be returned, “so it’s been a struggle. I keep practicing the CD and studying the CD. I go to sleep every night singing the songs. I dream about singing the songs,” she said. “(Maureen) is really passionate and I can feel with that, too. I am doing the funeral program but I keep running back to theater. I keep going back to these auditions — well, this is only my second audition, but still. I’m at 20 credits. And I went to the audition knowing I’m going to be packed. But I’m like, ‘It’s really fun!’” said Sanchez.

Sanchez’s older sister pursued acting and performs on Broadway in New York City. “I saw how all the people just critique everything she was and is, you know,” said Sanchez about her sister’s career.

While Sanchez hasn’t gained a career’s worth of experience, she understands the demands of the industry. “I’ve seen (my sister) try and change for all these roles and I see the challenges,” she said.

The role of Maureen presents its own challenge to Sanchez with her per-

Elizabeth Sanchez

sonality and the range of the songs she sings.

“This show is so challenging for my vocals. It’s really high and I’m just really trying to learn how to breathe and learn how to sing appropriately,” said Sanchez.

While this is her second musical production, Sanchez hasn’t taken any vocal lessons. “I’m just kind of raw,” she said. “You could say my vocal training is recently on YouTube. I’ve been looking up on YouTube how to sing,” Maureen’s outgoing personality is a contrast to Sanchez’s quiet demeanor. “It’s fun because it makes me get out of my comfort zone a little bit. She’s just really courageous and out there,” Sanchez said. “I am seriously so shy and people don’t believe it. When it comes to social gatherings or even being in funeral, I am so in my own little place.”

“I’m not good at socializing and being around people.

(Portraying Maureen) is going to build and help me bring a confidence to myself because she’s so confident and overly courageous. I think that it’s actually beneficial for me,” Sanchez added.

Although she has limited stage experience, it’s not the performance that makes Sanchez nervous — it’s the group she is Elizabeth Sanchez reads her script during Tuesday’s rehearsal for RENT. performing with.

“I don’t want to look like I’m over-acting. I want to just be able to really breathe Maureen’s role and breathe what’s happening in the show,” she said.

“I just feel a little intimidated. (They all are) theater majors. I really want to perform to their standards. I want to prove to them that I can be there, too.

I’m not just performing for me,” she said.

Sanchez has a strong desire to succeed with her cast.

“My main goal is to make everyone proud, the people in the cast and the directors. To make them proud and feel they did the right choice. I’m not trying to be catty. I want to do a good job. I really do feel, sometimes, like I don’t deserve it.”

Photo by Jeff Hannig/ The Advocate

Kylie Rogers

Danny Perez-Crou The Advocate

Whether or not you have any experience acting, getting exactly what you want is always exhilarating.

Imagine having always gotten smaller roles, and then finally getting a lead role in a play. That’s what a yo pian has finally achieved.

Cole Hampton portrays the ch who is having a tough go of thing coming production of “RENT.” Ro recently committed suicide when s she had contracted AIDS and gav is trying to recover from the loss while also dealing with the fact tha might not live much longer.

Hampton explains, “I’m trying character conceptually, like walkin with the knowledge that I might definitely heavy, man.” To some pressing playing this brooding ch that deals with such heavy themes. ton says that because he has so m cast, it balances out.

Hampton has had a passion for school. “I love theater and everyon it. Whether it be a lead, supportin just singing in the chorus, I find it riching experience,” Hampton sa in a few dramas in high school, a mainly to supporting roles and ba ters.

This is Hampton’s first lead rol

Cole Ha

Living Arts

ampton

The cast of RENT rehearses dances from the show during a choregraphy session on Wednesday. The show will start on Feb. 22.

he said excites him. He didn’t know anything about “RENT” prior to this production, but Roger is the part Hampton had his mind set on. “I just felt I would naturally fit into that role,” he said.

Even though this is Hampton’s first big role, he said nerves aren’t a factor. “I’ve always liked the limelight and am very eager to get my first chance to go out there and give it my all,” Hampton said.

This play does deal with some adult themes and language but Hampton said, “No, It doesn’t bug me.

These are mature themes but I feel these are also very relevant themes as well.”

As a student at MHCC, Hampton must juggle school, commuting and his brooding theater persona. “I tried taking it a little easier this term with the Photo by Jeff Hannig/ The Advocate

oung MHCC thes-

haracter of Roger, gs, in MHCC’s upoger’s ex-girlfriend she found out that ve it to Roger. He of someone close, at he has AIDS, and

g to deal with the ng down the street die tomorrow. It’s it may be too deharacter in a play . However, Hampmuch fun with the

r theater since high ne associated with ng role or someone t to be such an enaid. He performed and was relegated ackground charac-

le in a play, which

Hampton rehearses lines at a Tuesday rehearsal for RENT.

play and all,” Hampton said.

He is undecided on his major and has a full schedule of 12 credits. He also commutes via public transportation every day, which can lead to some early mornings. “It’s a little exhausting sometimes, but I make it happen.”

Hampton will perform his first lead role as the tragic Roger when “RENT” begins Feb. 22 in the College Theater on the Gresham campus.

Katelyn Hilsenbeck

“As a challenge, it was really exciting to be able to do that,” he said. He called Voice of the Prairie a “really unique experience.”

Giorgi enjoys voice work as well as acting. “I love From ensemble membasically developing voice along with physical characber to understudy, to the terizations, because I think it adds layers and interestcharacter Benny in the ing elements to characters,” he said. musical RENT, Alex Giorgi In summer 2011 he traveled to England with Black has been cast as them all, Swan and fell in love with the country. “It was great to before actual rehearsals be over there and I want to go back,” he said. even began.

While in Britain, he had trouble speaking with an A second-year student, American accent, because he had studied voices for Giorgi was originally cast theater and automatically tried to duplicate the British as an ensemble member, accent. then promoted to Benny’s He participated in each production last year at understudy. After several MHCC and in actors were not able to par‘Fantastic Mr. ticipate in the show, he was promoted yet again, Fox’ during to Benny.

Fall Term.

“It was kind of a shock,” he said. “I feel blessed “MHCC because I wasn’t originally cast as this part.” has provided Giorgi found out about his role the same day a lot of acting the first rehearsal began. “I have to get to know opportunities this character so I can put him on,” he said. for me. It has The dialogue in RENT is put into song, so, he been able to “knew that it was going to be a challenge,” he fill my acting said. need,” Giorgi Benny is the landlord in the musical who aims said. He plans to open a studio and have his friends take part. to finish his deHowever, to do so, he must collect the rent. gree this year His character is often viewed as the antagonist and transfer to of the show. But, Giorgi said, “from Benny’s pera university to spective, he’s actually trying to help them. He’s pursue a thejust trying to do what he thinks is right.”

Giorgi began his acting career in third grade, Alex Giorgi rehearses lines during the same Tuesday rehearsal in ater degree.

“I love actand performed at Sam Barlow High School and the college theater. ing. Whatever I Black Swan Youth Theater.

He participated in choir throughout high school and do in the future, as a career, I know I want it to somewas able to dance and sing in musicals. He also just took how relate to acting,” Giorgi said. And yet, “I am a little scared of it because it is such a hard field to go into,” an MHCC dance class during Fall Term.

He once played three supporting roles in “Voice of the he said.

He aims to pursue his dreams and perhaps act on Prairie,” and said it was “my favorite time to act at BarBroadway someday, he said. “If it’s your dream, you low, because not everyone knew that I was all three. I was got to shoot for it, if you can.” able to, with costumes and my voice, to disguise myself.

The Advocate

Alex Giorgi

Photo by Jeff Hannig/ The Advocate

use

7

Photo by Shelby Schwartz/ The Advocate

the advocate

Jan. 25, 2013 Photo by Shelby Schwartz/ The Advocate

8

Living Arts

the day tripper your weekly event planner

Friday 1.25

ne Portland

Celebrate Neil Diamond’s 72nd birthday with Tony Starlight at the Alberta Rose Theatre. Show starts at 8 p.m. For more information on tickets, go to Albertarosetheatre.com.

3000 N.E. Alberta St.

Saturday 1.26

SE Portland

Celebrate Australia Day at the most Aussie place in town, The Pacific Pie Company! $2 Fosters beer, $3 sausage rolls, $4 Aussie wine, $5 special potato-topped meat pie. Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 1520 S.E. Seventh Ave. A variety of canned goods and personal hygiene products are available at Barney’s Pantry. The pantry is located in the Student Union and is a free service for all students in need. Each student is allowed up to three items a day.

Barney’s Pantry offers free services and goods to students Shelby Schwartz The Advocate

MHCC offers many resources for students — from dental work to open gym to salon services at lower rates — and in these tough economic times a helpful service is Barney’s Pantry.

The pantry located in the Student Union and offers a variety of packaged or canned food items, some of which students can prepare on campus and some of which they can take home as a meal.

Marcelino Bautista, Associated Student Government director of community affairs, said that “the purpose of the pantry is to serve the students who are really in need of that meal that they might not be able to afford. They are coming to school, their paycheck might not be until next week and they might be in that situation where they need a meal that night to get them through the day and through the week. I think the purpose of the pan-

“We’ve seen 40 students at one point use it in four hours.”

Marcelino Bautista director of community affairs

try is to actually help students in that way and provide them a very good meal.”

Bautista said the pantry also provides students with the resources of other food pantries in the community, so “if they are in that much need, they can go and get that help out there,” he said.

Barney’s Pantry receives funding and donations from departments and clubs on campus such as Allied Health and the Gamers Club. There is also a box in the bookstore coffee shop where students can donate money and change, all which goes to providing meals in the pantry.

“Also, last term we did a food drive with Chartwells, our cafeteria on campus, where we had students bring in two canned items, or two non-perishable items, and they’d get 50 percent off

their entrée meal. That went really well and we got a lot of donations through that,” he said.

Bautista is also given a budget to spend on meals for the pantry, adding that this is where a large portion of the food comes from.

When publicizing the service of the pantry, Bautista said, “We’ve gotten a lot of student response on surveys saying that they’ve heard from other friends about the pantry, so a lot of it is word of mouth. The ‘Call of Nature News’ that is posted around campus is also a really good source of advertising for the pantry,” he said.

According to Bautista, what items to offer in the pantry has been an ongoing debate between the student government members. “We’re not sure if the students want meal items or snack items,” noting that many students come in for snacks.

The goal of the pantry is to provide a service that keeps students full longer than just eating a snack, he said.

Current items in the pantry range from top ramen, to canned food such as corn a to prepare at home, to pastas and lasagnas. There are also personal hygiene products including toothpaste, deodorant and feminine hygiene products.

Bautista said during the holidays they provided stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy, although they could not provide turkeys because they do not have a refrigeration unit. He said they try to provide a variety based on the season.

The ASG in the past has not always kept track of the number of students utilizing the pantry at a given time, Bautista said.

“In the last few years we haven’t really had solid numbers on how many students use it per day, per term,” he said, “But this year we are really taking notice of how many students are using it and we’ve seen 40 students at one point use it in four hours. It used to be 40 students would come into the pantry in a week, so the number has really gotten big. So to have 40 students come in in four hours, that’s really big for us. That’s helping a lot of students,” he said.

According to Bautista, ASG is looking to secure some sort of refrigeration unit in the future, although the room does not have very many electrical outlets.

Barney’s Pantry in available for all students to use. There is a limit of three items a day per student as well as one personal hygiene item.

Saturday 1.26

w. Portland

Take your kids to Powell’s City of Books for kids’ story time. This week they are reading “The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket” starting at 11 a.m. 1000 W. Burnside St.

Sunday 1.26

SE Portland

Come dance at the Jai Ho three-year Anniversary Dance Party. Jai Ho is a monthly Bollywood and Bhangra dance party. There will be dance lessons, performances, and live singing. The event starts at 9pm. 21+. $5 before 10 p.m., and $10 after. 1001 S.E. Morrison St.

Sunday 1.27

NW Portland

Catch a music performance by “Hot Buttered Rum” at 7 p.m. at The Crystal Ballroom. The band’s sound is a type of left-coast rock with a touch of jazz and country. 21+.

1332 W. Burnside St. For more information on tickets, go to www.Mcmenamins.com.

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Jan. 25, 2013

Safety: New lockdown plan nearing completion as college adds to drills Continued from Page 1 Risk Management Coordinator Staci Huffaker said in an interview Thursday that the college is compiling a new lockdown plan, which is currently a draft and in the “vetting process.” She said she expects the procedure to be done in February, ahead of schedule.

Huffaker said once the lockdown plan is complete, the college intends to coordinate physical training exercises on campus. She said Mt. Hood eventually wants to add a lockdown drill to emergency drills the college currently has in place, its fire and earthquake drills.

“We want to have a distinctive PA sound for lockdown drills, so students don’t confuse it with a fire drill and walk outside where it may be dangerous,” Huffaker said.

An excerpt from MHCC Board Policy 4080 briefly states the commitment to safety by the college: “The Board recognizes the need to provide for the safety, security and wellbeing of persons associated with or represented by the College as well as protecting the assets of the College,” which include the people, property and reputation of the college.

“Our whole approach is a kind of an all-hazard, integrated approach focused first on thinking skills like ‘What do we do and where do we go?’ and then secondly putting specific items in there [the emergency response],” President Michael Hay said during an interview Thursday along with Huffaker.

“We have three groupings in the college that all report to the Vice President of Administrative Services under Bill Farver: Risk Management with Staci (Huffaker), Campus Security under Gale Blessing, and Environmental Health & Safety under Karen Reynolds,” Hay said. “It all comes under the one umbrella.”

Hay said all three departments help to direct the response to any alert or emergency the college faces in order

“You’ve got to commit to it. You have to make sure that if you make a plan, everybody is going to commit to it and take action when it’s time,” Wayne Feagle Manager, Public Safety to preserve campus safety.

Another aspect of security is the Incident Command System (ICS), which is “pushed out by (the) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),” Hay said. The ICS is used for the all-hazard approach on campus, to alert for any type of emergency, such as electrical or regular fires, shootings, beatings etc. on campus, in order to “manage and assess the event,” he said.

Huffaker and Hay said Mt. Hood is pushing situational awareness for students in order to aid the college’s emergency response by alerting Public Safety officers to any threats or suspicious activities they might see.

Within the “run, hide or fight” training plan, people finding themselves in a scenario with a shooter should first attempt to run or escape from the location of the shooting, making sure to place an emphasis on not slowing down due to indecision on what to do, or in the effort to grab belongings. If escape is not an option, then people ought to find a secure hiding spot with no lights on and preferably behind an object large enough to deflect shots fired but not restrict movement. If the shooter attempts to get into a room, people ought to see that everyone commits to a plan of action and follows through in order to incapacitate the shooter, so as

not to become a victim.

Public Safety Manager Wayne Feagle said, “The way (experts) teach it now… escape if you can; if you can’t, then you lock down, in place. What they teach you is, to barricade the doors and spread out so you’re not all in one group in case shots do come in. You kind of have to plan (so) if the guy busts into your room, you have to be ready to confront him,” he said, adding there should be people placed on either side of an entrance in case someone comes in so they can attempt to wrestle away any weapon.

Feagle, Hay and Huffaker all recommend the video, “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Surviving an Active Shooter Event,” posted on the website of Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla., as being informational and “having the best practices,” according to Hay. He said the college wants to point people to best practices. Huffaker said officials hope to post the video on the MHCC website but are waiting to hear back from the makers of the video so as not to violate copyright law.

Feagle urged a sharp focus. “You’ve got to commit to it.

You have to make sure that if you make a plan, everybody is going to commit to it and take action when it’s time,” he said. “The first thing you want to do is escape if you can.”

Feagle was a Public Safety officer for 14 years, three of them as the lead officer. He took over as manager when former director Gale Blessing moved to head Human Resources at the beginning of the Winter Term.

MHCC has never had any violent shooting, Feagle said.

There was a lockdown about three or four years ago during a weekend, he said, when someone robbed the Walgreens’ store on Stark Street adjacent to the Gresham campus.

The robber never actually entered campus, but then-security director Dick Byers, who now heads Facilities, put the campus on lockdown for safety, Feagle said.

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Sports 10

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Saints fall to Chemeketa, to face tough challenge in Lane John Tkebuchava The Advocate

As the last seconds rolled off and the players broke off from their opponents, it was a familiar, unfortunate scene.

The scoreboard above read: Chemeketa - 67, MHCC - 38.

Since their last victory on Dec. 1, the MHCC women’s basketball team has been under a bit of a dry spell for the last month.

Against Southwestern Oregon Community College on Saturday, the Saints had a very difficult time getting the ball into the basket and wound up shooting less than 20 percent, losing 83-38.

Individually, sophomore Hannah Mocaby had a solid day scoring, leading the team with 13 points and five rebounds. Freshman Sydney Mendazo also had a good day, with 12 points and three rebounds. In total, the two accounted for 65 percent of the Saints’ points.

In Wednesday’s loss to Chemeketa, however, neither Mocaby nor Mendazo were able to get into double digits, as the team as a whole struggled offensively.

Over the course of both games, turnovers were an issue. The Saints (2-15, 0-6 in their division), scored just 14 points off of turnovers to their opponents’ 57.

“Ball handling is a huge is-

Left: Freshman Chanel Celis attempts a layup in Wednesday’s game against Chemeketa. Right: Freshman Hannah Lopez finished the night as the team’s top scorer with only 11 minutes of play.

sue. We turn the ball over way too much. This to me is mental toughness, self-discipline,” said head coach Jocelyn McIntire.

“This team needs leadership and mental toughness. When these two things begin to show themselves, we will be able to see more consistent play which will in turn result in better overall play,” McIn-

tire said.

Nonetheless, even with some lopsided losses, the Saints have played some solid games defensively this season and had 111 defensive stops in their games against Chemeketa and Southwestern Oregon.

“In both games, we had moments where we really did play to-

gether as a team. We need to take these and build on them. We need to start having more moments and get them to last longer,” said McIntire.

“The team plays hard and is beginning to understand how to work together,” she said.

“We often play well in the half court, force a poor shot, but we fail

to finish the job by securing the rebound,” she said.

Being a young team with only three sophomores on this year’s squad, a lack of experience is also telling, McIntire noted.

“I definitely think our youth has contributed to our struggle this year. We do not have any strong leaders at the moment, and we play a ton of freshmen that just don’t have the experience,” said McIntire.

But, with a young team this year, the Saints are expecting to have a veteran squad ready for next season.

“My hope is, that with these freshmen returning next year, they will be mentally tougher and more disciplined. They will have a better understanding of what college basketball is about,” said McIntire.

The path to victory won’t be an easy one, although this Saturday could be a good opportunity as the Saints take on a struggling Linn-Benton squad, just 4-14 on the season.

The Saints then hit a bit of a roadblock at their next game against Lane on Feb. 2. Lane currently holds the best record in all of NWAACC (19-1 overall), its only loss (77-64) coming against the Number One team in the Southern Region, Clackamas Community College.

Fundraiser raffle offers chance to win trip to Hawaii Spectators at all remaining men’s and women’s basketball games can earn a Hawaii getaway, by luck of a raffle and some shooting skill.

During all home games, raffle tickets can be purchased for $2 each. Contestants must be 18 years old to enter the drawing. One ticket will be called during the home games and that person will have one chance to shoot a free throw.

If the contestant makes the shot, they become eligible to compete in the next round at the final home game, Feb. 23. Those who

miss receive a $15 gift certificate to Flying Pie Pizzeria, at 1600 N.W. Fairview Drive in Gresham.

At the Feb. 23 men’s game, finalists will attempt a half-court shot, in an order determined at random. The first person to drain a half-court shot wins a voucher for roundtrip airfare to Hawaii, donated by Walker Travel & Cruises of Gresham.

If no one sinks the shot, the prize will roll over to next year’s basketball season.

-Aaron Marshall

ASG president William Miller takes a shot at a free throw at the women’s basketball game on Wednesday night as a part of a raflle/fundraising event.

Sports 11

the advocate

Photos by Jonathon Long/The Advocate

Saints take game off top-ranked Chemeketa After dropping two games in a row, the men’s basketball team comes back big against top-ranked Chemeketa, handing them their first region loss Shaun Lutz The Advocate

Coming off two close losses, the Saints were looking to bounce back Wednesday against Chemeketa in the MHCC gym.

And that’s exactly what they did, thumping the Storm 87-67 in a runaway win.

The Saints, who were 2-3 in the South Region before the game, had a tall order as Chemeketa came into the showdown with a 4-0 record in the South.

“We prepared for a fast, up-tempo style and wanted to break their pressure,” said head coach Geoff Gibor. The team did just that — after going shot for

shot for most of the first half, a technical foul on Chemeketa head coach David Abderhalden sparked a 12-to-4 run to end the first half 49-33 in Hood’s favor.

A poorly managed second half by the officiating crew lead to continuous fouls, turnovers, and the ejection of Storm guard Jonny Howard seemed to overshadow a great performance by the Saints. Yet again, Mt. Hood took care of business in the “hustle stats,” shooting better from the floor (44 percent for the Saints, 32 percent for the Storm), attempting and making more free throws (28 of 39 compared to 20 of 28) and grabbing significantly more rebounds (45 to 27).

Their aggressive gameplay on both

sides of the floor gave Mt. Hood the advantage from start to finish. Asked about who stood out, Gibor said it was “a team effort. Our point guards did a great job of not turning the ball over, and Mac’s double-double was huge.”

“Mac” is freshman center Mac Johnson, who scored 21 points and snared 12 rebounds. Freshmen Landon Rushton and Blake Updike each scored in double figures, 13 and 12 respectively, and Jalen Thomas contributed 12 points off the bench.

On Saturday in Coos Bay against SWOCC, the Saints outrebounded the Lakers and attempted more free throws and had a better shooting percentage from the floor. But Mt. Hood couldn’t overcome the sharp shooting of SWOCC guard Riley Grandinetti, who drained eight of nine three-point field goals and shot an overall 10 of 13 from the floor.

Led by the hot hand of Grandinetti, the Lakers edged the Saints 71-67.

“Up four with two minutes left, we just didn’t defend the perimeter very well,” said Gibor. Sophomore forward Colby Mitchell led the Saints in scoring with 14 in the losing effort.

But after the Chemeketa game, Gibor described that win as a confidence booster for his young roster, saying anytime they can compete and even come away with a victory against one of the best teams in the region is good news.

Now 3-3 in Southern Region play (and 7-11 overall), the Saints will travel to Albany this weekend to take on the Linn-Benton Roadrunners (1-5 in the South, 5-11 overall).

Top: Freshman Blake Updike goes up over a Chekemeta defender for a pass.

Above: Freshman Landon Rushton looks for a shot in Wednesday’s upset over the Storm. Left: Freshman Thomas Simien fights for possession of the ball.

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12 Sports

Jan. 25, 2013

Photos by Jonathon Long/The Advocate

Sophomore brings experience and skill to young team Colby Mitchell, the sole second-year player on MHCC’s basketball team enjoys his status as a veteran voice and role model Aaron Marshall The Advocate

For boys growing up in Alaska, it was assumed that if you were into sports, your game would most likely be hockey.

But not for MHCC basketball player Colby Mitchell. He didn’t really have a choice, as he grew tall rather quickly.

“I’ve always been the tallest guy when I grew up, playing sports,” said Mitchell. “I use to play a lot of hockey back in Alaska when I was younger, but I always grew out of the equipment and it started being difficult to play.”

Given his height and his family’s background in basketball, it was an easy transition to hoops.

“My dad was into basketball a lot when I was younger, so it grew on to me and I started playing more and more,” said Mitchell.

Now the 6-foot 7-inch power forward embraces basketball, and stands out as the only sophomore on the MHCC men’s team. Teammates look to him for guidance and knowledge.

“I have Coach’s full support,” he said, referring to basketball coach Geoff Gibor.

“I’ve been in the system the longest and know the plays so the other g u y s come

to me if they need help.”

Mitchell has stayed consistent throughout the season, averaging close to 15 points and seven rebounds per game.

“Colby shows a toughness about him that a coach loves,” said Gibor.

As for his personality, Mitchell considers himself to be a bit of an extrovert and someone who loves a challenge.

“I would say I’m outgoing. It’s hard to make me feel uncomfortable; I’m pretty sure of myself. I won’t back down from anyone or a challenge,” he said.

Asked who he would compare himself to among professional players, Mitchell, an athletic big man with a good basketball I.Q., said he feels a connection with a New York Knicks star.

“I would compare my game to Amar’e Stoudemire. I like to finish strong at the basket,” said Mitchell.

Off the court, Mitchell said he enjoys some snow and time with his friends.

“I enjoy snowboarding, but I like hanging out with the boys. I haven’t been up to the mountain in awhile.

I’ve been busy with basketball,” he said.

Saints freshmen teammates Mac Johnson and Brock Otis have a similar perspective on the team’s leader.

“Colby is a good person. He looks after people. In a way, he’s kind of like a father figure to

all of us,” Johnson said.

Otis said, “He is a extremely nice person. He looks after the people he cares about. He’s respectful and always introduces himself when he first meets people.”

Mitchell landed in the Northwest because he thought Mt. Hood was a good college choice to help prepare for his future.

“MHCC was the cheapest opportunity for me. It was also the largest community college that I visited while I was down here,” said Mitchell.

He is majoring in business administration and eventually wants to acquire his master’s degree.

“I eventually want to be head of a business somewhere. I want to climb to the top of the chain,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell has high hopes for how the team will finish the season.

“Our goal this year is to finish top four in the Southern Region, but our biggest goal is to finish the season strong and be in the NWAACCs (playoffs). We just have to beat these upcoming teams,” he said.

“We just have to focus more and be on top of our A game. We’ve had minor setbacks this year with small things but we’ll be fine,” he said.

The team had no problems on Wednesday as Mt. Hood pounded Chemeketa 87-67 after the Storm entered the game undefeated in conference play.

Mitchell will lead the team into action Saturday against Linn-Benton, who is ranked last in the region with a 5-11 overall record.

Sophomore Colby Mitchell, in addition to filling a leadership role on the team, has been one of the Saints consistent performers this season.

“I’m pretty sure of myself.

I won’t back down from anyone or a challenge.”

Colby Mitchell