The Advocate, Issue 27

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Saints beat Southern Region rivals in doubleheader at home

dvocate Mt. Hood Community College Gresham, Oregon

Sports p. 8

www.advocate-online.net

May 7, 2010

Volume 45, Issue 27

Budget plan includes tuition hike, parking fee First proposal asks students to front over 60 % of shortfall; no programs set for elimination Ron J. Rambo Jr. The Advocate

Mt. Hood Community College President John Sygielski presented the college’s first 2010-2011 budget proposal to the district board Wednesday night, a proposal that plans to cover the college’s $5.8 million shortfall primarily with a tuition increase, parking fees and reduction of expenses that do not include program cuts.

In a presentation that lasted less than 30 minutes and included little elaboration on specifics, Sygielski outlined his cabinet’s process of creating this proposal.

“Thirty-four days ago, I informed (the board) of our $5.8 million budget shortfall,” Sygielski said. “Since then, we have held six open forum meetings to attempt to gather ideas for how we would shape this proposal. We will not be balancing the budget solely on the backs of employees, and we will not be eliminating any programs; we came to the conclusion that this would be disingenuous. This presentation is influenced by conversations we’ve had with fellow staff members who shared their philosophies. Our goal is to become the premiere community college in not only the Greater Portland area, but the entire state of Oregon.”

Sygielski said their proposal included a $5 tuition increase per credit hour, putting the total credit cost at $76, which Sygielski said “puts us in line with PCC (Portland Community College).”

Budget continued on page 3

2010-11 budget proposal breakdown Student Funded Revenue Enhancement Student Funded Revenue Enhancement

Employee Position Employee Position Elimination Elimination Other

Other

- Student-funded revenue enhancement includes: a $5 increase in tuition per credit hour; establishing a $50 a term parking fee; converting three-credit courses to fourcredit courses; and increasing course fees for certain high-cost programs. This would increase the college budget by $3,731,000.

- Staff reduction includes: elimination of department chairs and an associate dean; reducing part-time faculty costs and reduction of six employee positions. This would reduce college spending by $1,244,000.

- Other revenue enhancement proposals: an increase to 8 percent in administrative charge on grants; increasing funding from the MHCC Foundation and transfer of Campus Bookstore profits. This would enhance the budget by $550,000. Other reduced expenditures would include eliminating subsidy to the Child Development Center, reducing fixed costs in administrative services, repurposing the software training center and decreasing instructional costs for materials and travel. This would save the college $595,000.

ASG presidential tickets finish campaign, await decision of voters Jordan Tichenor The Advocate

Voting for the 2010-2011 Associated Student Government president and vice president finished at midnight Thursday and the results will be announced Saturday night at the annual Spring Dinner Dance.

As of 1 p.m. Thursday, 494 votes had been cast, according to Meadow McWhorter, student events coordinator.

In comparison, 570 votes were cast a year ago for ASG president. In 2008, 524 votes were cast, while 108 votes were cast in 2007.

All the candidates said their campaigns have gone well.

Presidential candidate Larry Collins-

Morgan said many students expressed that they were “tired with some of the stuff that’s going on,” citing financial aid and the lack of communication between student government and the student body as specific complaints.

Presidential candidate Nikki Jauron said, “I think we’ve had a really positive experience.

“This election is almost completely different from last year, especially the fact that we are running a clean campaign,” said Jauron.

The third presidential candidate, Dee Hawes Sr., said, “The campaign has gone really well for us.” He mentioned talking to students at MHCC’s Maywood campus and

ASG members look to move beyond resignation request

getting positive feedback from them.

Asked about their chances of winning, the candidates gave varied responses.

“Our chances are just as good as anyone else’s; we have a one in three shot,” said Jauron.

Hawes said he didn’t know whether he was going to win, but said if he loses, he will “be in line for any position” in student government.

Collins-Morgan said, “I think we’re going to win, if people go down and vote.”

Some of the candidates were concerned that a link to vote was not on the front page of the MHCC website.

Hawes said he thought that “was going to be a huge issue.”

Jauron said, “I know it’s going to affect the voter turnout.”

However, Collins-Morgan said that he did not think the issue would be a significant one. “People are going to vote if they want to vote,” he said.

“The person who is supposed to win is going to win,” said Collins-Morgan.

According to a poll on The Advocate website www.advocate-online.net as of presstime at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, CollinsMorgan and running mate Jon Francis had 20 votes (48 percent), Nikki Jauron and running mate Heather Nichelle-Peres had 14 votes (33 percent), and Dee Hawes Sr. and running mate Richard Ison had 8 votes (19 percent).

Index

News p. 3

Opinion

Mood and cast of 'Godspell' will leave audiences feeling good A&E p. 6

ASG presidential announcement, circus highlight Saturday's dance News p. 3

Pop-punk trio look to finish album, increase exposure playing shows

News

Music p. 7

p. 2 p. 3-5

A&E

p. 6

Music

p. 7

Sports

p. 8

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OPINION

The Advocate

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Sanne Godfrey Editor-in-Chief Ron J. Rambo Jr. Executive Editor, Design Jake Fray Sports Editor Brett Stanley Photo Editor Chelsea Van Baalen A&E, Web Editor M. Michael Rose Advertising Manager Jen Ashenberner Music Editor Jordan Tichenor Opinion Editor Ollie Barker Reporter Devin Courtright Reporter Chealsey Fischer Reporter Jon Fuccillo Reporter David Gambill Reporter David Guida Reporter Chanel Hill Reporter L. John King Reporter

Editorial

MHCC budget proposal puts most of the burden on the students The 2010-2011 budget proposal made by MHCC President John Sygielski at Wednesday’s budget meeting, if approved next month, will put added pressure on students who are already in a financial crunch. Of the proposed revenue increases, $3.7 million of the $5.8 million deficit will fall on the backs of students.

This represents nearly two-thirds of the proposal, including the two highest revenue enhancing/cost cutting implementations: a $5 tuition increase and a $50 per term parking fee.

The problems with these, particularly the parking fee, is that they’re both based on enrollment. The proposal states that these are conservative estimates, but there isn’t a guarantee that a parking fee will provide nearly $2 million in revenue for the college. The creation of a parking fee could deter many students from driving to campus; Tri-Met has a stop right outside the college entrance, and already shuttles many students to and from the college. While fewer drivers on the road may be good from an environmental point of view, it would also mean less revenue than projected.

How the college would implement a parking fee is another question. Giving students an option when they register for each term to get a parking pass might prove moderately fruitful, but considering the severe lack of public safety officers, there is not much enforcement.

Currently, there is hardly any enforcement for keeping the college tobacco-free; add the burden of public safety having to patrol the parking lots for cars that don’t have parking passes and the college is looking at additional expenses in hiring new officers to be able to enforce the law.

In the proposal, there is a surplus of $320,000 which may help alleviate some absence in parking fee projections should more students decide to take the bus, bike,

Bob Watkins Adviser Dan Ernst Assistant Adviser 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

Submissions 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.

or walk, but the overall implementation will be as difficult to enforce as the tobacco-free law. How long before students begin carpooling more, or decide to simply park without purchasing a pass?

The tuition increase puts the cost per credit hour up to $76, right in line with Portland Community College. But the point of capitalism is to beat the opponent in terms of pricing, not match them. We can say we provide a better service to students than other colleges, but there is no quantifiable measurement to prove that. Now, the college risks losing potential students that would choose MHCC over PCC in part because of cheaper rates.

This is seen as revenue enhancement by the college, but from the student perspective, this is an increased expense. Put this together with the fact that financial aid disbursement will be delayed an additional one or two weeks starting summer term, and suddenly students that had a hard time paying their bills before now will have a more difficult time paying their bills. From a psychological standpoint, why would students bother coming to college when it is more of a hassle than getting a fulltime job that would allow them to more easily pay their bills? Included in this are the economic projections for the year, which point to increased growth. Already in the fourth quarter of last year, the economy improved beyond what “experts” thought it would. A better economy means fewer students feeling the pressure to get an education that puts them in position to get a good job. If more good jobs become available, the college’s reliance on increased enrollment becomes a more questioned variable.

The decision not to eliminate programs was beneficial to students, but the reliance on increased tuition and a new parking fee is a difficult projection to make.

Diners should learn the value of tipping

Thelma M. Lucas Reporter Mario Rubio Reporter

may 7, 2010

David Gambill The Advocate

It’s not a city in China. It’s not what you’re going to do the next time you catch a cow standing up. To restaurant employees it is often a standard, a means for a better life. To the restaurant patron, it is a gift given in the appreciation of a need fulfilled. It goes beyond restaurants because there are countless instances where it can be applied. Quite frankly, I think this art is misunderstood: the art of tipping.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a tip as “a gift or sum of money tendered for a service performed or anticipated.” It recently came to my attention over a nearly page-long Facebook thread that many young people have a narrow concept of what service performed means. The thread started when my friend Chris, who works at a bar in Portland’s Hawthorne District, posted a comment after being stiffed on a to-go order. An unbelievable amount of messages started pouring in with half of the thread agreeing that it is a consumer’s responsibility to tip and the other half complaining that tipping is reserved for when they sit down and have a meal.

As a person who has worked in the restaurant industry and seen the back- breaking work that cooks and servers endure, in addition to the verbal abuse they receive from consumers who take the customer-is-always-right policy to a threatening extreme, I see that our food service employees deserve better. I mean, come on, if you don’t know how to boil water, then you could be living on cold, dry packaged food without our local eateries.

The argument often sounds like this: “I will tip well if the wait staff goes out of their way

to make my sure my time at the establishment is above my expectations.” I can understand this, but poor service is still service and a minimal tip is still appropriate. If you have a less than pleasurable experience at a restaurant, then you should chose not to repeat the mistake by going back. But you should still tip the wait staff instead of punishing them because they don’t know any better.

The argument for not tipping a take-out order is of a similar ignorance. One of my friends said he would never tip someone for just taking their money. He dearly missed the point.

When you call in a phone order to a restaurant, there is a large process that is involved from the time you say hello until the time you get home. First, the person who answers the phone must take care to ensure they get your order accurate, which can be difficult when a phone call isn’t as understandable as a faceto-face conversation.

They often have to ask a customer waiting in the restaurant to wait even longer in order to take your phone call. Once the order is in — and this is important — someone has to make your food. This is the biggest service performed at the restaurant and yet people still ignore this fact.

Without cooks, the whole process would be

meaningless and a trip to a restaurant would just be beverage service. Finally, the process ends with the take-out person coming in, grabbing their food and leaving while other customers have to wait. I’ve seen it over and over: more food is made, and more time and energy goes into the process, yet the tip is constantly forgotten.

If you think service standards have diminished throughout the years, then inadequate tipping could be the culprit. A talented employee may work at a restaurant you frequent.

That employee may enjoy that restaurant but will leave for a job that pays more money if they don’t make chicken scratch for money.

Soon you start to notice that the restaurants in your price range don’t have quality servers.

There are several other work environments where tipping is forgotten, from your hairstylist to the doorman at a hotel. There are several sites on the Internet that can clarify the etiquette of the tip.

Beyond my personal stance, if tips are accepted, then tip. I do realize that it is your money and you can spend it any way you like. There are quite a few people in the industry that would say that if you can’t afford to tip than you couldn’t afford to eat out. In the end, to tip or not is your decision.

Correction: In Issue 26 of The Advocate, there was an error in the story titled “2010-2011 proposal prepared for committee; college must relieve $5.8 million deficit.” The budget meeting will be held on May 19. The Advocate regrets the error

news

may 7, 2010

'Water under the bridge'

The Advocate 3

With no recall-petitions circulating to remove ASG President Bradley Best, student government looks to move forward

Chelsea Van Baalen The Advocate

Photo by Devin Courtright/The Advocate

ASG President Bradley Best notifies the ASMHCC Senate of his intent to stay in office Wednesday. The Senate passed a resolution April 28 asking Best to resign due to the Senate’s belief that he failed to uphold a prior resolution asking him to correct behaviors of misconduct.

OSU-Cascades Campus

No petition is circulating to start a recall election to remove Associated Student Government President Bradley Best from office, according to several ASG members, and Vice President Bethany Peterman said ASG and the senate should be looking toward the future.

“I have given my senators goal sheets,” Peterman said Wednesday. “I really had them focusing on the future. The really have done a great job of focusing on the future.”

Peterman added, “We’ve all been trying to focus on other things outside of this. This is just something that keeps cropping up and each time it escalates, until it got to the point where it was obvious it needed to be addressed.”

In regards to a petition and subsequent recall election, Senator Verity Bishop said that because it’s so late in the year, “There’s not much more we can do.” Senator Charles Cookman said, “It’s already so late in the year.”

A resolution passed by the Senate April 28 asked Best to resign because senators believed he failed to uphold a March resolution addressing issues of misconduct.

The first resolution followed an investigation after formal complaints were filed in December.

Best went before the Senate Wednesday to formally announce his intention to stay in office for the remainder of his term.

Best said, “This year our holistic approach to succeed in accomplishing some of these tasks have been obtained but more work is needed to complete our final task to leave a legacy behind for other ASG leaders to follow.”

Best said he told the senate the issue “is water under the bridge now.”

“I have no plans of retaliation, no hopes of being malicious or vindictive,” Best told

Centered in Oregon. Centered on Students.

Yes, you can

The Advocate Tuesday. “I have full certainty of completing the year and plan to transfer to Oregon State University in the fall.”

David Sussman, manager of College Center service and grant sponsored programs, said, “It’s been hard for Bradley and I think he takes negative feedback on a personal level rather than a professional level. I believe Bradley feels strongly that he’s given 100 percent as the ASG president and I think he’s hurt when he doesn’t feel broad support.”

Best said, “This doesn’t bring the good light above anybody by any means.”

Senate bylaws state that 200 student signatures are required to start a recall election.

There would then be four weeks to advertise and hold a recall election.

If a majority of students voted to remove Best from office, Peterman would step into the role of president; if a majority of students voted to retain Best, no changes would occur.

In terms of circulating a petition and beginning the recall process, Sussman said, “I think the time of the year has affected the process because we’re in the home stretch. I think people are wondering if trying to impeach Bradley is the best use of their time and energy.”

Best said, “After all the hardship, all of the strife and perils of being president, the thought crossed my mind (to resign) but in the end the ASG president can’t walk out on its staff though it may look like the staff has given up on me. And the staff (that continued to support the president) are owed the greatest amount of respect and gratitude from the students. I’ve had staff pick me up and I’ve picked them up, too. And right now there’s no greater feeling than being supported by the staff.”

Best said he would not change the staff he’s had this year and “may they be for me or against me, I still think highly of them.”

Two MHCC students to be honored as Oregon Community College scholars Sanne Godfrey The Advocate

mentor, high school swim coach and also finds time to mentor inner-city teenage girls in developing successful life skills.

Zacarias will graduate in June with her AAS degree and will be the first person in her family to complete college. She is currently leading groups and providing case management to Latina girls who are at risk of gang involvement.

She has also been a mentor for the Transiciones program and put in 300 hours of volunteer service as an Americorps member. Her goal is to become a youth social worker.

And the place to make it happen is OSU-Cascades in Bend, with small classes, personal attention and your choice of more than 11 majors and 20 options that will provide you with accredited degree programs from OSU and UO. In most cases, you can apply college credits you’ve already earned.

The MHCC District board will honor Toni Kay Jacobson and Maria Zacarias Wednesday as 2010 Oregon Community College Association Student Scholars.

Jacobson is a high school dropout and recovering drug addict who is maintaining a 4.0 GPA and has been inducted in the Phi Theta Kappa chapter at MHCC. She has been accepted to Concordia University where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work.

Jacobson serves as an academic

Contact an admissions specialist to learn about the admissions process, financial aid and scholarships.

Foundation auction expects to surpass last year's earnings

complete your degree.

Chanel Hill The Advocate

“There are all kinds of choices we can make as community college students.

I chose to go to OSU-Cascades and it’s been great.”

Fabian Clark

Business Administration

OSUcascades.edu

facebook.com/osucascades Call 541-322-3100

In partnership with University of Oregon and Central Oregon Community College.

2600 NW College Way Bend, Oregon 97701-5933

The MHCC Foundation's 38th annual dinner and auction drew a crowd of about 450 guests Saturday night and it appears to have surpassed last year’s fundraising total of $149,000, according to Cassie McVeety, the foundation’s executive director.

"We are still counting the money but we have every indication that we raised more than last year" said McVeety.

Each table was topped with MHCC greenhouse-grown plants for the garden-themed, "Feed Our Future, Help Us Grow" event.

The dinner, which took 14 foundation committee members a year to plan, included KGW's Nick Allard as emcee, a silent auction, dinner and musical entertainment.

The MHCC jazz combo performed as well as Grammy nominated saxophonist and MHCC alumnus Patrick Lamb.

"The students of the jazz combo were great and Patrick Lamb, who was scheduled for only 20 minutes, performed for over an hour. People loved it. They stayed to dance and the music was fabulous," said McVeety.

The foundation has been raising money for MHCC scholarships for almost four decades and takes pride in helping students achieve their goals, McVeety said. "Tim Vidito, who is a past recipient of the foundation’s G.E.D scholarship award, spoke about attending Mt. Hood and eventually graduating from Portland State with a degree in science. He recently took his MCATS. He is a real success story of how this (the foundation) helped him."

McVeety said, "Every dollar we raise goes directly to scholarships. It's all about the kids."

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The Advocate

may 7, 2010

'Open Mic' gives opportunity to perform

Photo L. John King/The Advocate

Jim Ouchida, of custodial services, performs at Open Mic, an event sponsored Wednesday by Nikki Jauron and Heather Nichelle-Peres in support of their campaign for ASG president and vice president.

Budget continued from page 1

Reduction of expenditures to save about $1.8 million for the college Sygielski said their proposal included a $5 tuition increase per credit hour, putting the total credit cost at $76, which Sygielski said “puts us in line with PCC (Portland Community College).”

Previously, a list of 29 potential budget implementations the cabinet had put together included a proposal of a $125 yearly parking fee; the parking fee as proposed will instead be $50 per term, for students only. Sygielski said after the meeting that there had been “no discussion” about a college employee fee, but that there may be separate parking for employees.

The tuition increase and parking fees together create a revenue increase of $3.24 million, or more than 75 percent of all revenue enhancement ideas.

In the budget presentation packet, Sygielski writes that the 2010-2011 revenue estimates are conservatively assuming steady enrollment with no further growth. Sygielski said during the meeting that enrollment was up 15 percent for 2009-2010.

For reduction of expenditures, which will save about $1.8 million, a reduction of six full-time employees and a reduction of six department chairs and an associate dean make up the bulk of that figure. Sygielski said after the meeting there will be contract maintenance discussions in the coming weeks to determine what full-time positions will be eliminated.

Full-time faculty association co-president Pam Shields said Wednesday, “We just saw this information at 4 p.m. today, so we (will) take some time to process the information and response.”

The remaining expenditures to be cut include costs of materials and travel, administration services, and elimination of a Child Development Center subsidy.

“We can accelerate transitions to the Head Start program, which will eliminate the need for the CDC’s subsidy,” said Sygielski.

All told, revenue increases are proposed to make up $4.28 million of the shortfall, coupled with cuts to save $1.83 million. The additional $320,000 (above the $5.8 million deficit) will be transferred to the emergency fund reserve, along with $4 million from other unrestricted funds, which will take the reserve to 7 percent of the general fund.

After the presentation, Sygielski said it was too early to tell how much would change before the next budget meeting on May 19.

“This is just a first viewing,” said Sygielski. “I am eager to hear the conversation that this causes. If people aren’t satisfied with what we’ve come up with, they will have an opportunity to come up with some other solutions.”

Sygielski said the finalized budget “needs to be taken care of ” by the May 19 meeting. No public statements were made at Wednesday’s meeting.

MHCCD board to look at approving energy expansion, PERS fund transfer Ron J. Rambo Jr. The Advocate

The MHCC District board is expected to vote Wednesday on an energy expansion proposal by HM3 Energy, Inc., a pension bond transfer to the general fund and a long-term facilities master plan.

The board is also scheduled to hear an update on the KMHD/OPB merger.

HM3 President Hiroshi Morihara presented a proposal for land use at the Feb. 11 board meeting, in which he stated his company’s quest to produce biomass energy briquettes from forest waste and urban wood waste that could be used to replace coal.

His company needs a place to build a testing facility – he proposed a site on the MHCC campus, likely in the back 40 near the fisheries building – which will be built at the company’s expense and would be donated to the college after 20 years. The current recommendation from the administration is to approve the lease expansion.

But in a letter dated April 26, the college’s attor-

ney, Peter Mersereau, said there are “serious concerns over the college’s legal authority to enter into the proposed lease arrangement.”

“As we interpret Mr. Morihara’s business plan, the primary purpose of the facility HM3 intends to build on the leased premises is to further its own commercial interests,” Mersereau said in the letter.

The board also will be asked to transfer $600,000 from the PERS fund, a pension bond fund, into the general fund “in accordance with the 2009-2010 adopted budget.”

MHCC President John Sygielski in February had suggested transfer of PERS money as an option to help the close the deficit in the general fund, but in March said nothing would be done in terms of money transfer.

Also on the agenda is a consideration of a list of administrators for 2010-2011. The recommendation is to approve the list.

The meeting will take place 6 p.m. Wednesday in the district board room.

TURN QUALIFYING CREDITS

into a career

Contract negotiations begin next week; no other dates set Jordan Tichenor The Advocate

Full-time faculty contract negotiations are scheduled to start Wednesday.

No other dates for negotiations have been set. The negotiations will be open sessions.

Asked how long the negotiations might take, Sara Williams, full-time faculty chief negotiator, said “You can never tell this early in the process. The faculty association is not afraid of a long bargaining process if that is what is necessary to find a fair contract that values the faculty, the students and

the institution.”

The previous contract negotiations began in April 2008 and extended beyond the 150-day statemandated negotiation period, stretching into December before a contract agreement was made between the college administration and the full-time faculty association.

The contract was ratified in January 2009, with 13 memorandums of understanding (MOU).

The MOUs were temporary agreements, subject to change based on economic and college budget climate.

Transferring qualifying credits earned from your community college toward a bachelor’s degree from DeVry University is a great investment in your future. In fact, for the last 5 years, DeVry graduates have worked at 96 of the Fortune 100 companies*.

Portland Campus 9755 SW Barnes Rd., Suite 150 | Portland

DeVryPortland.com | 877.518.6486 DeVry University graduates from June 2003 - June 2008 in the active job market. Active job market includes those employed prior to graduation. Fortune 500 ranking, 2008. Program availability varies by location. ©2009 DeVry Educational Development Corp. All rights reserved.

Portland / Mt Hood College / 6.1x7 / 1.29.10

news

may 7, 2010

The Advocate 5

New ASG President to be announced

Spring dinner dance brings circus to life at MHCC Ron J. Rambo Jr. The Advocate

The MHCC Student Activities Board is ready to host an event that will “highlight SAB’s capabilities” at Saturday’s Spring Dinner Dance, according to Receptions Coordinator Kate Crabbe.

“It’s been amazing seeing how this event has developed from an idea for a theme to a full-blown event,” said Crabbe. “Throughout the entire process, the idea of this really coming together has felt so surreal, and the suspense of this impending event is all I can think of at this point. Basically, I’m ecstatic to see this event come together so smoothly.”

Crabbe said the theme for the event, a circus-based “Cirque de la Soiree,” has been nearly a year in the making.

“I have been planning this event since I was hired last June,” said Crabbe. “I picked a theme and began looking for a venue over the summer which enabled me to hit the ground running when I started in the fall. I feel that having a solid plan and vision from the get-go

has allowed me to make the most of this event in every aspect.”

Holly Corbitt, director of SAB, said she “loves” this year’s theme.

“I feel like SAB needs to remember what we are and the students we represent, by coming up with a theme that people can get into,” said Corbitt. “Cirque de la Soiree is the name of this year’s Spring Dinner Dance and we will have the famous Portland group Wanderlust Circus as the main act during dinner. While it is a formal event and dinner, I really wanted to keep it fun and entertaining.”

The evening will also include announcement of the new ASG president, which annually occurs at the Spring Dinner Dance.

“Every presidential election has drama,” Corbitt said. “I believe this year’s candidates will be respectful and joyful no matter what the outcome is.”

Crabbe said ticket sales have been about the same as last year’s Spring Dinner Dance, though the price has been lowered from $15 to $10 “in hopes of making it more affordable to

the students.”

“There are more seats available and we want as many people as possible to enjoy it,” said Crabbe.

Corbitt said dinner with the Wanderlust Circus, henna tattoos, fortune tellers, and DJ Moe Funk are part of what will make this year’s dinner dance worth the money.

“When people show up at the door, they will be whisked up the stairs into the ballroom,” said Corbitt. “Dinner will be served as people arrive and the show will begin at 6:30. During the show we will be recognizing people (with awards). After the show the tables will be moved to make room for some dancing.”

Crabbe said she was most looking forward to seeing the circus performers in action, as well as the dessert table, which is expected to include Voodoo doughnuts, elephant ears and chocolate-dipped Twinkies. Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, and the event will be held at the Bossanova Ballroom (722 East Burnside).

Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are available in the College Center.

MHCC prepares to install eco-friendly water fountains

Reading event to highlight relevance of'1984' novel

Jordan Tichenor

L. John King

Avoiding buying bottled water is about to become easier on the MHCC campus.

Three water bottle refill stations are being put in around campus. One will be in the gym, one will be on the water fountain outside the College Center and one on the upper level near the 2700s.

The project has been coordinated by Holly Corbitt, director of the Student Activities Board, as part of a legacy project.

Corbitt said she hopes to put something permanent on campus that reflects the goals of the current administration.

According to a proposal that Corbitt wrote, “The common reason why most people buy bottled water is because most were unsatisfied with the taste of tap water.”

Corbitt also stated that the project “captures a growing population of convenience-oriented people concerned for their health and the environment.”

“Bottled water is not good for our economy or our society as a whole,” she said.

The stations will sit on the back of the current water fountains. They are sensor based, and will disperse water when a bottle is placed in it.

“If we have the means to do it, why not do it?” said Corbitt.

The refill stations will be installed over summer term and should be functional at the beginning of fall term, Corbitt said.

The novel “1984,” featured in the upcoming Reading for Fun event May 28, has this to say of totalitarianism: “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever.”

Instructor Janet Campbell, head of the political science department, will be moderating discussion of the novel that brought us words like “groupthink,” “thought-crimes” and “Big Brother” in George Orwell’s unforgettable personification of governmental power gone bad.

Campbell said she began the “Reading for Fun” series in fall 2008 because she read a report that stated only 14 percent of college students read books for leisure. She said, “I’ve also noticed that the reading level of the nation as a whole and college students have been declining.”

Asked why she chose “1984” for the series, Campbell said, “Well, it’s an old classic and I hadn’t read it in years. I started browsing it and realized how relevant it was to what is going on in the world right now. The novel is relevant because it warns of the dangers of complacency, and that a number of elements necessary, including the technology, are present to make “Big Brother” possible today.

“The purpose of war in the novel and the interchangeability of enemies regardless of what ‘the enemy’ stands for can be seen in propaganda world-wide”, said Campbell. “In the novel, history is re-written daily, so there is no way to verify information at all, or to learn from the past.

“Totalitarianism is possible, even for democracies, when there is control over information because a society without critical thinking skills can be easily manipulated by false rhetoric,” Campbell said.

“The reduction of language itself . . . that is, “newspeak” is happening in our society as our reading levels drop. Fantastic words that convey the complexities of life are becoming way beyond the reach of many people.”

She said, “If we only convey things in simplistic ways, then simplistic thinking starts to grab hold. Simplistic thinking cannot solve complex issues.”

The novel “1984” has been published in more than 60 languages and has been continuously in print since it was first released in 1949.

The discussion will take place in the Bob Scott Room (Room 2326 on the main floor of the library) from 1 to 2 p.m. Friday, May 28.

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News Briefs Three Cafe Tuesday/ Thursday left Cafe Tuesday will feature a North African/Middle Eastern Cuisine this week. The next Café Thursday is named “Lunch At The Bistro” and will be held May 25. The next Café Tuesday will be June 3 and will feature a Tex/Mex BBQ buffet.

Four Transitions information sessions remain There are four remaining information sessions for the Transitions Summer program.

The next session will be May 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the board room on the Gresham campus,

next to the president’s office.

The information sessions will explain how to apply for financial aid, take the college placement test, start college and tips for college success. The other sessions will be June 3 and 14 from 10 a.m. to noon and June 16 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Scholarship deadline approaches MHCC Foundation scholarship applications for GED graduates are due May 12 and scholarships for all other students are due May 19. Applications and requirements for the scholarships can be found on www.mhcc.edu/scholarship/.

Calendar Friday, May 7 Men's Forum Topic: Sexuality from noon to 1 p.m.in Room 1008 Softball vs. Clackamas starts at 3 p.m. at MHCC Mt. Hood Twilight Festival 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

MHCC Stadium

Saturday, May 8 Baseball vs. Lane starts at 1 p.m. at Oslund Field Softball vs. Chemeketa starts at 2 p.m. in Salem

MHCC Open Track Meet starts 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

MHCC Stadium NW Jazz Band Festival Performing Arts 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

College Theater

Sunday, may 9 Rho Theta from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Jazz Cafe in Room 2059

Monday, May 10 Mt. Hood Conference Tennis Tournament from noon to 6 p.m.

Tennis Courts Rho Theta from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Jazz Cafe in Room 2059

tuesday, May 11 Mt. Hood Conference Tennis Tournament from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tennis Courts Cafe Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Room 2059 Baseball vs. Chemeketa starts at 4 p.m. in Salem

Wednesday, May 12 Mt. Hood Conference Tennis Tournament from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tennis Courts AA Meeting from noon to 12:50 p.m.. in Room 1266

Thursday, May 13 Baseball vs. SW Oregon starts at 1 p.m. at Oslund Stadium

Friday, May 14 Historian's Roundtable How has history treated Ronald Reagan? from noon to 1 p.m.

Room 1608 Softball vs. Lower Columbia starts at 3 p.m. in Longview, Wash.

6

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MAY 7, 2010

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Photos by Devin Courtright/The Advocate

The cast of “Godspell” runs through the play at a dress rehearsal Tuesday. The play opened Thursday and goes through May 16 in the Studio Theater.

Enthusiastic cast makes watching the classic musical a fun, enjoyable experience Review by Chelsea Van Baalen The Advocate

With a graffiti-scarred brick wall in the background and a vintage Volkswagen bus on stage right, the mood is immediately set for “Godspell.”

The setting in the MHCC Studio Theater is small and intimate, perfect for this musical. From the beginning, it was clear that the cast wasn’t about to let the space close in on their performance.

From the time they enter from the rear of the theater, the cast becomes a cohesive group. With a variety of singers from rock n’ roll to slightly operatic, each is able to be their own individual without taking away from the overall affect.

After the first number, it seems the cast is all over the place. Aside from Coleton Sticka as Jesus and Adam Davis as John the Bapist/Judas, each cast member takes on several different roles.

Each cast member is given the opportunity to shine, through both lines and solos, making this cast a true ensemble.

Lauren Luiz shows an amazingly extreme range, with

getting her Southern preacher on during one tale to belting out a soulful tune in a style reminiscent of Jezebel, while Amanda Pred is nothing short of adorable. Sticka is confident in the lead role, making Jesus a guide, a hippie, a storyteller and a rocker, all at the same time. Davis makes himself a character to watch, being dynamic and commanding on stage, as well as delivering a few clever one-liners.

Because the cast never leaves the room, the scene changes are less distinct than other plays or musicals, so the audience should prepare itself to keep up, especially with the cast taking on different roles from story to story.

Although the play is whimsical and mostly fun, it is not without its somber, intense moments. The cast handles these situations with maturity and sincerity, making the audience transition from clapping along with one number to falling into utter silence, clinging to every word.

For those who might worry about the religious aspect, the musical isn’t overtly preachy. Based on the gospel of St. Matthew, the plot follows more along the lines of a series of Golden Rules, being more about peace and love than heaven and hell (though both the latter terms are mentioned.)

The spirituality of the show enhances more than it could detract due to an audience member’s difference in opinion.

Overall, whether it’s a musical number or a fable, entertaining bits or a fierce crucifixion, the cast noticeably throws itself 100 percent into the performance. This exuberance makes the show not just entertaining to watch, but the audience won’t be able to help feeling good, and maybe walking away having taken in a lesson or two.

The Box Office Performance Dates: Admission Cost:

May 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Studio Theater May 9 and 16 at 2 p.m.

Studio Theater General seating at $15 per person

Visual Arts students' exhibit makes for 'a really good show' Ollie Barker The Advocate

Student artwork, including skill levels from beginner to advanced, will be featured in the Visual Arts Center gallery through May 27.

Viewers can see public sculptures outside, while inside the public can view paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculptures, jewelry, three-dimensional and other forms of artwork.

Lynn Horn, administrative assistant said, “There are more sculptures this year than there’s ever been, and much less ceramics. Usually there are more ceramics in the exhibit, and it’s interesting to see more sculptures now. It’s a really good show this year.”

Nathan Orosco, MHCC gallery coordinator and sculptor instructor, said, “The annual student art show is to represent students and to show the community what our art students have accomplished. It gives students the opportunity to receive feedback of their work, and also allows them to learn how to prepare for an exhibit by a certain deadline.

“The exhibit allows students to have dialog with their viewer, to create a conversation with the audience and public,” said Orosco. “Hard work went into the

art, built up for three quarters. This is their best.”

Garry Emard has multiple pieces of artwork in the exhibit. He said he likes to do both painting and sculpture, but primarily sculpture. This is the first time his artwork has been in an exhibit.

In Emard’s painting, “False Hallucination,” he said, “This has more of a shocking factor to viewers from the usage of toothpaste. I created the lines by masking the canvas off with tape, and putting the toothpaste all over. Crazy lines were from pulling off the tape, which added to the painting.” He said, “On this one it took roughly 40 tubes of toothpaste.”

Each of Emard’s artwork took weeks to create.

He said, “It’s not like a constant process.

I work on one piece, then move to something else, and come back.”

He said, “The name ‘False Hallucination’ comes from the illusion that when you stand back from the painting, you start to see grey area between the white and black, but when you focus to what’s really there you see that there is no grey.”

Emard was the artist who created the outside public sculpture as well.

The gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

Photos by Ollie Barker/The Advocate

Pieces created by students from the Visual Arts Department will be on display until May 27 in the Visual Arts Gallery. Both advanced and beginning students have art on display.

MUSIC

MAY 7, 2010

The Advocate 7

CD Previews Meatloaf Hang Cool Teddy Bear

Band finds inspiration from '90s bands to create pop-punk sound David Gambill The Advocate

Meatloaf ’s 11th studio album is scheduled for release in the United States Tuesday. The album is said to be based on a short story about a soldier dying.

Each song is a tribute to a possible future if the soldier doesn’t succumb to death, according to newsblaze.com.

Crash Test Dummies Ooh La-La!

Even when they aren’t rocking the vote in the Vista Dining Center or playing live on the MHCC radio station KMHD2, Market Street’s three members are submerged in music.

Lead singer/guitarist Blaine Gorze describes their music as a poppunk sound with influences from ’90s bands like NOFX and Greenday.

Gorze said they played a new acoustic song on the radio show. The song was written about the M&M shooting in Gresham that occurred Feb. 13. Gorze said he feels a connection to the M&M because it’s where he sings karaoke every week, which is how he got started singing. The song didn’t have a name but Gorze said he was thinking of calling it “4 shots.”

Gorze lives in Troutdale and works security at Doug Fir Lounge, a Portland night club. His exposure to bands at the night club has shaped his view of how he wants to treat his fans. Gorze said he doesn’t like going to shows after dealing with drunk, egotistical musicians. “I try to talk to everyone,” he said.

Although Gorze said he thinks most of the music at the Doug Fir is too weird to make any sense, he does enjoy some artists that come through. He said he liked the Band of Skulls because they are “rock n’ roll, staying true to the music.”

Gorze isn’t the only band member into the pop-punk scene. Secondyear student and drummer Nick Nera said his influences include Incubis, Sublime and Sevenfold.

Nera, a music performance major, has been playing music since elementary school. Early on he wanted to play drums but after his music teacher stuck him on the xylophone he switched to the trumpet, he said.

Now Nera, also a trumpet player in MHCC’s Jazz Band, said he’s found a new outlet for his music with the drums.

Being in the jazz band has allowed him to pick up a few tips from other drummers, Nera said. He tries to add a jazz style to his sound by playing with the guitar beats instead of acting like a metronome, he said.

In July 2009, Nera’s jazz band experience took him across the world to Taiwan, where he received a first-hand lesson in health care. After arriving in Taiwan, Nera said his left ankle started to swell. Originally, he was taken to what he called a back alley accupunctarist, thinking that the swelling was due to climate change.

When they took the needle out and found dark blood, he said they moved him to a hospital where he stayed for 21 hours with a staff infection.

Nera said he was impressed with how quickly he was admitted into the hospital and how well he was treated.

Now, back at MHCC, Nera has realized where he wants his music life to take him. He said he wants to continue playing, “to keep my sanity through the days.”

Blaine Gorze said his lesson is that he doesn’t want to take being a musician too seriously. He said that when all is said and done, he and his bandmates all have other things going on. Gorze said the main goal is to have fun.

To prove his point, Gorze told a story about when Market Street went on tour with a band called Secnd Best (the correct spelling). He said that when Market Street would go on stage as the opening act, they would introduce themselves as Secnd Best. When the other band would go on stage, they would have to awkwardly explain themselves to the audience, he said.

If you want to see Market Street in Portland, Gorze suggests looking to the Satyricon. He said they play there a lot because it’s an all ages bar and they can get everyone out to see them.

Market Street is currently recording a CD at Haywire Records in Southeast Portland. They finished six songs in December and want to finish the CD soon. “It’s all on funds right now,” Gorze said.

The third member of Market Street is bass player and second-year student, Alex Amen.

You can hear Market Street at their MySpace site: www.myspace. com/marketstreettheband.

Ooh La-La! will hit store shelves Tuesday as the Crash Test Dummies first album in six years. According to antimusic. com, Brad Roberts, frontman for CTD, said the inspiration for the album came from an “infatuation” with a Mattel musical toy called an Optigan. “We were inspired to do things that we wouldn’t have done,” Roberts said.

Jennifer Knapp Letting Go

Alex

Amen Blaine

Knapp’s first album since taking a nine-year hiatus from Christian music will be released Tuesday. Knapp is releasing the album after announcing that she is in a same-sex relationship, creating a controversy in the Christian music industry.

Campaign sponsors drawing for Zombie Prom tickets L. John King The Advocate

Rachel Cunningham, a firstyear office management student, was the winner of a drawing held Wednesday, sponsored by Dee Hawes Sr. and Richard Ison in support of their campaign for ASG president and vice president. The prize was two tickets to the PDX Zombie Prom, taking place May 15 at 8 p.m. in the Bossanova Ballroom in Portland.

Gorze

Nick Nera Photo by Jen Ashenerner/The Advocate

New Godsmack album 'The Oracle' sounds familiar Ron J. Rambo Jr. The Advocate

Evolution occurs over a long time in the realm of science. In the realm of music, evolution also takes a while but it eventually will happen as a band continues to experiment with new styles and new musical ideas. Bands like Dream Theater seem to evolve with each album; others, like AC/DC, may never evolve, or at the very least take forever doing so.

This is not to say that evolution is crucial to a band, and in some cases the band is worse for having done so. Queensryche, for instance, created some amazing music from 1983 to 1991 (spanning five albums), and have had only one good album since. Metallica fans will incessantly bellow the words “first four albums” when talking about how great they are, but seem to forget the filth they’ve made since then.

Having said all of this, Godsmack’s new album, “The Oracle,” shows little or no change. If one were to take an entire catalog of Godsmack’s music and play it randomly from start to finish, there would be little recognizable differences.

For some bands, this shows a clear lack of creativity; for Godsmack, who first became popular when Nu-Metal was running rampant in the late ’90s, this seems to suit them just fine. Front-

man Sully Erna screams exactly like he always has (he’s written the bulk of Godsmack’s stuff), guitarist Tony Rombola’s foot is still glued to his wah pedal, and the overall sound of the band remains stagnant, trapped in a time capsule from 2000 when this sound was still fresh.

The sound of the band has always drawn heavily from Metallica, except the commercial aspect has always been there. The album does not stand up as well as “Awake” and “Faceless,” on its own, and sounds as if it was mostly fashioned as a continuation in a saga of music that is very angry.

With songs like “Cryin’ Like a Bitch,” which has a very similar feel to “Straight Out of Line” and other past singles, one must wonder when Sully will finally confront the hundreds of people that must have done him a great deal of wrong in his life. Why else would he continue to write music with peak topics like “get away from me,” “you’re an asshole,” and “I hate you” after 12 years? There must be some other source of inspiration, right?

Maybe not. Nobody ever mistook Godsmack as the evolutionary second coming of Yes or Pink Floyd. Either way, the album serves its purpose, which is to be a solid rock album in a musical world that has let many old-school rock fans down over the last decade.

8

SPORTS

The Advocate

MAY 7, 2010

Confidence proves key in Saints Southern Region victories Jake Fray

The Advocate

The Lady Saints are riding high after beating Southern Region rivals Lower Columbia Red Devils in a home doubleheader Wednesday.

“It felt great,” said Head Coach Meadow McWhorter. “It was awesome to see the smiles on the girls’ faces who were here last year. We went 0-4 last year but we beat them in the tournament. So it felt great to beat them on our field.”

In the first game, the Saints fell behind early by a run before tying the game in the third inning. Sophomore third baseman Nicole Colpron walked, moved to second on an error and then advanced to third when no Red Devil covered the bag. “That is what we have been talking about all season,” said McWhorter. “I like to say we are base-hunters to get that extra 60 feet.”

With Colpron on third, Jade-Marie Kealiinohomoku hit a sacrifice fly to right-center to tie the game for the Saints.

“If Colie wasn’t paying attention, we wouldn’t have scored in that situation,” said McWhorter.

The Saints were tied in the seventh when Amanda Bunch scored the winning run off a Jessica Guy infield hit that resulted in an overthrow by the shortstop to end the game.

Picking up the win for the Saints was freshman Kayla Anderson after relieving sophomore Myranda Sawyer in the third inning.

“My staff has been doing such a good job this season,” said McWhorter. “Kayla came in and gave up no hits in 3 2/3 innings and five Ks. As a team they are below a 2.0 ERA. They have been doing awesome for us all season.”

In game two, the Saints jumped out early, putting two runs on the board in the first inning.

“As a pitcher, getting an early lead relaxes

me and allows me to have fun,” said Chelsea Schriber, winning pitcher in game two. “It doesn’t create a lot of pressure for us pitchers.”

The Saints took a 3-0 lead to the seventh when Schriber gave up a homerun to Lower Columbia’s Jamie Bolin. At that point McWhorter brought Anderson back in the game to get the final out for the Saints.

“It was a change-up that wasn’t outside where it was supposed to be,” said Schriber.

McWhorter said, “The reason I pulled her was to keep her confidence up. The next girl up would have seen Chelsea for her fourth at-bat of the game. Good hitters have figured you out by then, so I went with Kayla.”

Anderson recorded the final out and the Saints won 3-1.

“To find a pitcher who can come in and take over, like in Game 1, and have confidence when she comes in to a 3-1 count and goes changeup-changeup to get the out is hard to find,” said McWhorter. “Especially when she is only a freshman at this level.”

Colpron said, “It felt amazing to beat them. Yeah, we beat them in NWAACC last year but to beat them at home feels awesome.”

Over the weekend the Saints split a doubleheader with South Western Oregon Community College and swept two from Clark College. The Saints finally broke out of their hitting troubles during the fourgame stretch, especially Colpron.

“I was frustrated because I was in a minislump, but it felt great to get out of it,” said Colpron.

In the two games, Colpron jacked three homers, one against SWOCC and two against Clark.

McWhorter said, “On paper we should be winning every game. Our batting average did dip down but after these games it definitely went up. Our team ERA is 1.57

Photo by Jake Fray/ The Advocate

Sophomore Nicole Colpron hits a single during the second game of a doubleheader against the Lower Columbia Red Devils Wednesday. The Saints won both games and are 5-1 in their last six games.

and we are hitting as a team at .383 with our opponents batting average being only .180.

If we play Saints ball, we should win every game.”

Mt. Hood track teams to host Twilight Festival Sanne Godfrey The Advocate

Sophomore Markus Stevens finished seventh in the decathlon Monday and Tuesday as part of the NWAACC Multi Championship meet held in the MHCC stadium.

Stevens scored 5377 points in the event, fifth best among Southern Region competitors.

Kevin Godfrey from Lane Community College won the event with 6544 points.

Head Coach Matt Hart the weather was horrible and Stevens’ throws were down but he did really well in the 1500-meter run and the pole vault. He finished third in the 1500 with a time of 4:33.21 after being in fifth place for most of the race.

Stevens said, “I’m not really a thrower. I’m more of a runner.”

Hart said it is possible that anxiety played a part in the performance in the throws events, because it was a championship meet. He said Stevens has only been competing in the decathlon this year and “for what he did, he stepped up.”

Stevens is being looked at by four-year colleges and universities to continue the decathlon, Hart said.

MHCC was not represented in the heptathlon. Sam Berryman from Lane won the event with 4465 points.

The track and field team competed Saturday at the Pacific Twilight and the team did “really well,” according to Hart.

Anaiah Rhodes came in third place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.34 and first in the 200 meters with a time of 25.31. Both are lifetime PRs for Rhodes.

The Saints final home game of the season is today against Clackamas Community College, with games starting at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Baseball sweeps season series against Linn-Benton Roadrunners Jon Fuccillo The Advocate

Photo by Sanne Godfrey/ The Advocate

Sophomore Markus Stevens (far left) competes in the NWAACC Multi Championship 1500-meter decathlon event at home Tuesday. Stevens finished the event in seventh place with 5377 points.

Rhodes is ranked second in NWAACCs in the 100 meters and third in the 200 meters. Hart said Rhodes is barely third, because she is only 1/100 of a second behind the second-best time.

“She’s fast and it’s fun to watch,” said Hart.

Amanda Smith also ran a lifetime PR in the 1500 meters with a time of 5:15.84, shaving almost 10 seconds off her season PR. Kelsey Strot competed in both shot put and discus throw event, and even though all her discus throws were fouls, she finished first in the shot put with a distance of 42’7.5”.

The men finished first in the 4x100-meter relay and second in the 4x400-meter relay, setting season PRs in both the events.

The men ran the 4x100 in 42.36 and the 4x400 in 3:21.97.

The meet was against fouryear colleges and universities and Hart said three of the four athletes in the relay teams are freshmen on the MHCC team,

“I’m not really a thrower.

I’m more of a runner.”

Markus Stevens Track and Field

which leaves a lot of room for improvement over the next year.

Hart said, “Micah Strong rocked the sprints.” Strong finished third in the 100 meters with a time of 10.98 and sixth in the 200 meters with a time of 22.25.

Adrian Weber had a lifetime PR in the discus throw with a distance of 151’10” and is currently second in NWAACCs, according to Hart.Hart said Weber has “added 30 feet to his discus and has more left.”

The team will compete today at the Mt. Hood Twilight Festival, which is held at the stadium, and qualified athletes will compete Saturday in the Oregon Twilight at the University of Oregon.

The Saints baseball team swept a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon against the last place Linn-Benton Community College Roadrunners in Albany.

MHCC has won all six meetings against the Roadrunners this season, who are 3-15 in league and a whopping 7-25 overall.

The Saints were scheduled to play a make-up doubleheader in Eugene Thursday against the Lane Community College Titans. Results were not available at press time.

After dropping two decisions in a row, lefty John Yearout (4-3) bounced back and got the win in a huge 14-2 victory over the Roadrunners in game one. He ended the game with four strikeouts.

The Saints offense came to life in the fourth inning when they were trailing 1-0. They stacked up seven runs to help out Yearout on the hill.

“We got off to a slow start offensively,” said Head Coach Bryan Donohue on his team’s effort against the Roadrunners in game one. “In that fourth innings we had four bunts for singles. That’s pretty impressive. We just had to adjust.”

Catcher Corey Davis hit a tworun homer (his second of the season) in the sixth inning to help the team’s offense and centerfielder Michael Blake helped add to the team’s 15 hits by going 4 for 4. The teams only played seven innings due to the 10run rule.

“It felt real good,” said Davis on hitting his homerun and beating the Roadrunners. “He (the pitcher) threw it where I liked it and it went sailing.” Davis laughed and said, “I was rounding the bases like it was a

double since the wind was blowing in so hard all game long. But it went over. It was a gift from the baseball gods. Just proves that if you respect the game, the game will respect you back.”

Nate Doleman (2-1) took the hill in game two and left with a 2-2 tie after tossing five and one-third innings. He handed the ball over to closer Michael Seifert (3-0 and six saves) who was credited for the victory after the Saints added three runs in the top of the seventh inning to win 5-2.

Blake continued to crush the ball and ended the game going 3 for 4.

He ended the day 7 for 8.

“He hit the ball really well,” said Davis of Blake’s performance. “He has been big for us all season long.

He came up with some real timely hitting.”

Donohue tipped his cap to his team’s effort and was impressed with walking away with two victories.

“We played errorless baseball all day,” the coach said. “We came into these games and told ourselves we had to get these two and that’s what we did.”

As of April 29, the team was ranked 15th in the ABCA poll (American Baseball Coaches Association), which consists of Northern California, Southern California and the NWAACC in the Junior College Pacific Associations Division. They also hold a half-game lead in the Southern Region over Clackamas Community College and Chemeketa Community College Storm, who are each 13-7 in league action.

On Saturday, MHCC will host the Lane Community College Titans in a doubleheader at Oslund Field. Game one starts at 1 p.m.