“The college has done well making two nickels go far, but now it’s time to invest.” PAGE 2

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Independent Student Voice of MHCC Volume 51 Issue 16

Yoshida donation: one year later PAGE 3

MHCC winter production: UrinetownPAGE 5

Saints basketball puts in workPAGE 8

OPINIONPAGE a d v o c a t e - o n l i n e . n e t2

Editor-in-ChiefAdam Elwell

Associate EditorHayden Hunter

Arts+Entertainment EditorIvy Davis

News Editor Gloria Saepharn

Sports Editor Clay Vitale

Graphic Designers Ayla BucknerCody Holcombe

Photo Editor Nick Pelster

Opinion Editor Adam Elwell

Public Relations Manager Emily Wintringham

Features EditorJon Fuccillo

Video Editor Chuck Masi

Video Team Members

Ben Baxter

Ad ManagerJoseph Frantz

Copy Editor Quincy Smith

Staff WritersLena SimonNicole Kaadi

Monique MallariKonah NimoCandice SandlandBeau Blunck

Web EditorMatana McIntire

AdvisersHoward BuckDan Ernst

Front cover byCody HolcombeNick Pelster

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.

the advocate

E-mail: advocatt@mhcc.eduPhone: 503-491-7250www.advocate-online.net#mhccadvocate Mt. Hood Community College 26000 SE Stark Street Gresham, Oregon 97030

Impromptu road trips: just what the doctor ordered

Reinvigorating the political muscles

Cut the cord, live life to the fullest

Editorial

“I really believe democracy is like a muscle. If you do not use it, it will atrophy.” said MHCC’s general obligation bond PR specialist, Paige Richardson.

The sentiment is as important now as it’s ever been – especially to young voters, who make up the larg-est share of students at MHCC. The second largest group here is students over age 40.

With Mt. Hood going for a $125 million bond measure on the May 17 primary election ballot, student involvement could be critical.

“In primary elections, the most reliable group of people, to vote are oooollldd, I mean, over 50. The least reliable are the young voters. In presidential (election) years they come out more,” Rich-ardson elaborated.

Early community polling shows about 46 percent of MHCC district voters would vote “no,” another 14-16 percent are still undecided, with the remaining people surveyed sup-porting the bond. Only a simple ma-jority is needed for the bond to pass, which leaves about 6 perent of those undecided voters Mt. Hood would need to sway to get the bond passed.

The adage “get out the vote” might seem like stating the obvious, but there’s a reason it’s repeated. It’s one of the few finite factors in pol-itics: Either people have voted, or they didn’t – and if they didn’t, then they don’t get a say in what happens.

This becomes a simpler process if you address the undecided voters, who, given our experience talking to students about the bond, will lean towards voting for the measure once

they find out what it is and does (see our video for full coverage), and what Mt. Hood’s situation is right now.

As for the latter, it’s not fantastic. The college has been sliding deeper into debt the past four years. It owed about $29.4 million dollars in debt service at the beginning of the 2015 fall term. The last six bond attempts by MHCC, which were punctuat-ed by a long gap in even seeking a new bond, failed for various reasons. The last time a bond was attempted was nine years ago. If the May bond measure fails, MHCC is looking at a debt service of $41 million over the next 20 years.

These conditions make the MHCC campus a very important melting pot for the upcoming cam-paign. It has the most, and least

consistent, groups of voters in close proximity to each other, perhaps having conversations with one an-other more frequently as we ap-proach the May election.

These conversations the most important turning points for unde-cided voters, according to Richard-son, who said the bond campaign seeks to have “10,000 conversations” with voters before elections.

The Advocate staff supports this bond, especially since it’s been such a long time coming. “The college has done a really good job of mak-ing two nickels go a long way, but it’s time to make an investment so that the good work can continue,” said Richardson, summing up Mt. Hood’s sales pitch.

MHCC President Debbie Derr had a similar remark when asked

about the bond effort by the Ad-vocate earlier this school year. “We have been incredibly good stewards of the taxpayer dollar,” she said.

Filling out an election ballot is a relatively quick process. A bond win on May 17 would allow the college to renovate the Maywood campus, match an $8 million grant from the state, and help improve the school’s wi-fi, which the student body has expressed discontent with, time and time again.

Whether you vote “yes” or “no,” by picking up this paper you’ve demonstrated you are at least vague-ly concerned with the school.

That 6 percent “swing vote” is not a large margin. If students want or don’t want this bond to happen, their voice directly and heavily will influence the fate of this bond.

MHCC’s campus is perched on the brink of a critical election, with an influential role. Six percent of voters could make the difference.

Nick Pelsterthe advocate

Are you sick of your same old routine of going to school and work every day? Is the rain and the lack of fun in your life simply bringing you down? If so, looks like you need a change of surroundings to spice up that stagnant life of yours! Why not take a spontaneous road trip?

Let’s cut it with the infomercial stuff: Let me tell you about how a random road trip can really change you for the better. Experiencing new surroundings, food and people is nothing but good for the soul. Doing something so out of the norm makes your heart beat a little faster.

I have had the same best friend since middle school. His name is Brady Ching and he’s a funny Ha-waiian boy who loves baseball and foreign girls. Brady and I have wanted to take a road trip to Cali-fornia ever since we were in seventh grade, when we had ambitions to go there for our senior trip. Little did we know almost six years later our childhood dreams would come true.

Brady was leaving to go to U.S. Navy basic training so we decided abruptly to take a road trip to beau-

tiful sunny Southern California for a week. Seven days later, I pulled up to his house at 6:30 p.m. sharp and loaded my Subaru Outback with all of our bags. We were off, bumping old-school rap classics over the aux cord and eating banana bread. Over 18 hours we traveled 1,150 miles taking turns driving and pumping our own gas in all the random gas stations along the way. We arrived at our destination, a.k.a Brady’s cousin’s house, at 1:30 the next after-noon and then our getaway started. Over the week we hit every beach, went to Hollywood Boulevard, spent a whole day at Disneyland, and much more.

It was a week of my life that I never wanted to end.

On our last full day, the fami-ly we were staying with planned to

take us out on their grandpa’s Sea-Doos. We took the two water-crafts down to the harbor and got loaded up, putting all of our phones in the waterproof cubby of one. Brady and I were going to be on one of the two Sea-Doos, Brady’s cousin Natalie and her Grandpa on the other. Of course, one of them wouldn’t start so we tried jumping it using the truck, but it still wouldn’t work – so Gramps told the other three of us to take out the one Sea-Doo. I was wor-ried, but I volunteered to drive first. After we got into the open ocean, Brady tapped me on the shoulder for me to hand him his phone. He took a Snapchat of us and puts it on his story; I put the phone back in the cubby and continued to ride around until I feel the Sea-Doo start to tip to the right. Then, it does a barrel-roll

as Natalie screams. I fall into cold, but oddly refreshing, water and start freaking out. I try to climb on top of the upside-down machine as if I see “Jaws” in the water. Brady was just about to scream for help until we fi-nally got the craft to flip over. When we did, the cubby was open and all of our phones sank like rocks.

I thought to myself and laughed – because if I had been in Gresham right then sitting in math class this wouldn’t have happened. I didn’t mind, because even though all the memories of the week sank to the bottom of the ocean, this would be a memory that would never leave my head. That’s the beauty of road trips.

I’m going to end this with some advice: Go on a road trip, but never take your phone on a Sea-Doo.

NEWS PAGEPAGEF e b r u a r y 5 , 2 0 1 6 3

Gloria Saepharnthe advocate

In September 2014, Mt. Hood Community College received a $1 million donation from local businessman Junki Yoshida.

Yoshida came to America from Japan without proper documentation. He managed to elude immigration officers while he worked his way through Highline Community College, located near Seattle. He gave karate lessons to Highline students in exchange for paying tuition, he recalled during the gift celebration.

He’s never forgotten that start, while becoming a big supporter of MHCC, along with his wife, Linda, since the couple moved to Oregon.

“(I)t’s about providing young people an opportunity, hope and ambition for this world. You are doing that as staff and teachers,” he told the Mt. Hood audience that Wednesday in September.

So, what’s been done with that big donation in the last year?

To start, Yoshida entrusted MHCC President Debbie Derr with dispersing the money to where it’s deemed most appropriate within the college.

“Debbie is still working on (needed improvements) and (asking) ‘Where is the biggest need?,’” said Al Sigala, executive director of the MHCC Foundation and alumni affairs.

Sigala said that the list of needs

within the school is big, but one of the first priorities was to try to get a large, new scholarship available to students. “We want the scholarship to make a direct impact so that students are seeing the benefit of that gift,” he said.

The entire donation can go towards classrooms and curriculum improvements, but the scholarship will be shaped by Derr’s decision.

“We started with $50,000 and a minimum of $10,000 every year that we receive money will go back into that endowed scholarship,” the MHCC president said. She said she is looking into what type of criteria the “legacy scholarship” should have.

“We want to leave it as flexible as possible, but I want to get a sense from them – [the money] will be ‘forever’ – an endowed scholarship,” Derr said. The endowment is expected to last a long time, and would provide multiple scholarships for students every year.

Derr said the Yoshida gift will come through the span of 10 years. “We get $100,000 each year – we don’t have $1 million in the bank today,” she said. The amount the scholarship would give to students hasn’t been decided. Next year will be the first year that some of the scholarship money will be given out, the president confirmed.

Initially, about $14,000 went towards the Yoshida Event Center’s (the renamed Mt. Hood main gymnasium) improvements – a new paint job inside, repainted pillars, and replacing the carpeting. “It’s... provided a nicer environment for our student athletes and students” in that area, Derr said.

Sigala said other uses for the Yoshida money could be classroom equipment or needs that other programs have.

For instance, Derr said her goal is to have Open Educational Resources – a means with which

to provide students with free textbooks.

“I have offered $10,000 in a grant this year to the faculty to develop Open Educational Resources (OER),” she said. This is where text material is being developed “in lieu of” a textbook, that is free to students and is “open source” – anyone can use it.

“Our OER committee is working with faculty who might be interested in doing that,” Derr said.

The Yoshidas have long known Derr, which made giving her control of the money more comfortable.

Derr worked at MHCC for 15 years, from the 1990s up to 2002, before leaving for the Midwest, and knew the couple through their Foundation assistance.

“They have always been so generous to help the college Foundation with fundraising activities and opening up their home,” Derr said. “I reconnected

with them right after I came back and started as the president” in 2013, she said.

The friendship with the president may have been the reason that prompted the gift.

“[Junki Yoshida] holds a lot of respect for Debbie and obviously, we hold a lot of respect for him. He knows it’s going to be spent well,” Sigala said.

Their trust level is high. Sigala said the Yoshidas didn’t request to know exactly how their donation money was to be spent, except “that we still do (tell them). We let them know, because they’re good friends to the college and they are very familiar with the president.”

The couple host the Yoshida Cup (formerly NW Classic) every year and this year is the 30th anniversary of the major regional karate competition. The event will be held in the Yoshida Event Center on March 19-20.

Yoshida donated $1 million – where is it now?

Debbie Derr accepts a donation of $1 million on Sept. 17, 2014, courtesy of Junki and Linda Yoshida. The Yoshidas are long time supporters of Mt. Hood.Photo by The Gresham Outlook

Quincy Smiththe advocate

On Jan. 29, five MHCC faculty members held a forum on being a woman in the career field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics – the STEM disciplines. All the panelists spoke about the trials and woes of being a woman in traditionally male-dominated fields of study.

Each had different stories and experiences to share, but all of them seemed to agree it is not exactly an easy path for a woman.

A summary of what they shared:Valory Thatcher: Anatomy and

Physiology/Microbiology

Thatcher spoke briefly about her PI (principal investigator) in college telling her, “I would never hire a pretty girl to work in my lab.” But Thatcher went on to explain that more than hurtful phrases like that, it is the psychological barriers that will

hinder a STEM woman the most. She urges young women pursuing these types of degrees to not focus on feeling out-of-place or exposed. Thatcher admitted that when she was younger she had the perception she wasn’t smart enough for grad school or the sciences, but she never let these feelings stop her from continuing to work hard toward the career she dreamed of.

“I never had a mentor through college…it motivates me to be that mentor for my students now,” Thatcher said.

Her advice to women studying in STEM fields: “Women in STEM suffer from impostor syndrome... It’s not real – it’s a social construct. Once you’re on the other side of it, you feel the empowerment.”

Lisa Bartee: Biology

Bartee had a very different experience, with a female PI in college who seemed more supportive and positive toward the women in

her lab than the men. And though she didn’t have a mentor per se, she said her mother was her main “motivating force” throughout her education.

Her advice to women studying in STEM fields: “Don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to do.”

Joyce Sherpa: Chemistry

Sherpa spoke briefly about what it’s like to work with men in her field of work. “Men already have trouble communicating with women, but math and science men especially live in their heads,” Sherpa said. She stressed the importance of communication in the sciences, especially with her students. In fact, the Mt. Hood panel was visited by one of Sherpa’s own former students, whom she had mentored for many years and who recently earned a doctorate degree from Pacific University.

Her advice to women studying in STEM fields: “Don’t be afraid to be yourself or be different. Have fun!”

Lisa Hillyard: VESL (vocational

English as a second language) Metals

Hillyard teaches welding at MHCC, and welding is an incredibly male-dominated trade. Hillyard encourages her students, and any women in STEM, not to lose their femininity for the job. “It used to be that in order to succeed in these fields, a woman would have to act and behave like men in order to be taken seriously,” she said.

But Hillyard insists that a wom-an can go out and buy the pink Car-hartt’s (gear) and be feminine and still kick ass in any career they aspire to. Her ad-vice for women study-ing in STEM fields: “Don’t quit if you face male or sexist opposi-tion. Keep go-ing in order to prove t h e m wrong.”

Gina Shankland: Mathematics

The main issue for Shankland was the gender roles in the workplace, which extend out to any workplace in Western society, she said. She stayed home with her son for several years after he was born. She missed teaching math a lot even though she valued her time with her family. This balance between work and family is a tough situation for any working mother.

Her advice to women studying in STEM fields: “Go for it. Take lots of classes. Don’t be afraid of math; don’t be afraid of science.”

Women in STEM empower students at Mt. Hood

From Left: Dr. Valory Thatcher and Lisa Bartee Photo by Nick Pelster

NEWSPAGE a d v o c a t e - o n l i n e . n e t4Bond strategist lays campaign strategy on the tableAdam Elwell and Hayden Hunterthe advocate

Paige Richardson, the PR-campaign specialist hired by MHCC supporters to win passage of a $125 million general obligation bond on the May 17 primary election, sat down with the Advocate this week.

She explained her campaign strategy and experience, likely obstacles and just how Mt. Hood students and others can provide crucial help.

Here’s a summary of a lengthy Question-and-Answer session with Richardson:

Advocate: Can you tell us more about the bond, specifically, the message – what is the tag line you would get out to voters?

The ‘elevator pitch’? That this bond is accountable, and a transparent investment in our

community; that the success of Mt. Hood is directly tied to the community’s success. So, when you invest in Mt. Hood, you’re investing in yourself.

For every dollar a community puts into a community college, you get $6.80 back (in value). This bond which will... bring almost a billion dollars of value into the community. So that’s one place I would start, (with) a reminder that Mt. Hood has done an amazing job over the last 50 years, but there hasn’t been a bond for the college in 40 years. And so there are critical repairs and safety upgrades that must be made. And then... we’ve got to bringing the workforce training piece up to (current) standards.

Mt. Hood has traditionally been the place where you could come to get specific training and go out and get a good job, and we want that to continue to be true and so this bond is gonna make sure that happens.

Advocate: How can students

get involved?We will

be out on c a m p u s

when we can to recruit (volunteers for) phone bank nights, canvassing (door-to-door). The phone banks should be starting in one or two weeks.

Students should go to the bond committee website (friendsofmhcc.org) and share on our site. We need students to take a leadership role on storytelling... getting the word out on Mt. Hood. There are... miracles happening here every day, small and large, and people need to hear that to be connected. Voters need to hear that.

We are going to have a voter registration, and then an education effort, on campus. I hope that we will have a record young voter turnout in this district, because you routinely have the potential to change elections and the world.If your demographic jumped in, it would be enough to swamp the cranky folks (who often oppose tax measures).

Advocate: (What will the bond PR campaign look like?)

Social media is going to just run wild. Considering the time frame, and the money that we currently have... it would be better to wait until closer to the May ballot to release the paid media messages.

We’re hoping for as many direct conversations as we can get... we want 10,000 conversations, on the phone and at the door. We’re also going to ready-made crowds of people.

That will be the secret to success here, depending on how much volunteer engagement we get: (There’s) no limit to those conversations.

We will have some “old school” media, maybe cable (TV) ads. And

real old school, mailers (brochures) to go to voters, but only three weeks before the election or so when ballots go out in the mail.

Advocate: Why do you think MHCC has had a poor track record (on passing a bond measure) for the past few years?

It’s not that you don’t have a poor track record; it’s that you haven’t asked.

Most school districts ask routinely; Portland Public Schools ask every two years, most school districts ask every four years. (Mt. Hood won a bond vote) a decade or so ago, but we didn’t get it (approved) because of the rule of double majority rule (more than 50 percent “yes” vote, plus more than 50 percent voter turnout).

That’s not an indicator of voters not loving the college. People have a connection to you in ways you don’t always see, they just don’t know you need help.

Advocate: How does this bond survive voter tax fatigue, being sandwiched between other local tax measures?

What the college is facing is not so much opposition, as much as it is people wondering if they can afford it. (The projected tax is 30 cents per $1,000 assessed value.) That is $60-90 a year per (homeowner) property,

on average. It’s not a large amount of money, it’s not small. There will be many voters that need to consider that, because people are being asked a lot, but it is also a reasonable additional investment.

Good school districts bring up home values, and lots of homeowners understand that. People understand the value of Mt. Hood, and the services you provide in allowing people to get and hold paying jobs that they tie you directly their economic good fortune and our community’s economic success.

Advocate: What campaign steps have you found out absolutely work, and which ones do you want to avoid?

(T)he strongest is a live conversation with a voter. The tactic that does not work is telling them what to do, making a presumption that you are smarter than them, or scaring/forcing decisions upon them.

(Our strategy would be one) that starts with one-on-one conversations, then moves on to phone conversations because it’s still person-to-person, and then next would be paid communications that tell stories.

Being real and respectful to voters, that works. The folks who participate in this process, who are trying to pass bonds, if they appreciate that and respect that, they will do better, always.

Chuck Masithe advocate

On Tuesday, MHCC hosted the 2016 Winter Jobs Fest NW. On hand were over 40 employers from many industries looking to hire students and alumni, offering internships, full-time positions, and seasonal employment opportunities.

Several new employers were represented at the job fair this year, including Intel Corp. and Multnomah County.

Many of these employers will pay tuition reimbursement, in addition to wages, often after a period of three-to-six months of successful employment. FedEx, one of the attending companies, will reimburse tuition of up to $1,500

per year, and UPS offers up to $5,000 reimbursement in a calendar year.

Through the Jobs Fest and other events, students and alumni are able to identify and contact companies that are hiring and have the best wage and benefits in their field.

Bhaktirose Dawdy, coordinator of Career Services at MHCC, said her office seeks to connect students with jobs and internships by developing relationships with local and regional employers in Oregon. “Our goal is to connect students and alumni with internship and employment opportunities in their area of academic study at MHCC,” she said.

The MHCC Career Planning and Counseling Center maintains an online job board, within the MHCC

Web Portal. Go to www.mhcc.edu and log in to My MHCC. Click on the “Student Services” tab and then the “Other Student Services” folder then the “Career Planning and Counseling Center” folder to access the job board and other useful services.

The counseling center staff can assist students in developing an attention-grabbing resumé and cover letter. They also can help coach students through the process of a successful job interview.

“One of the most challenging aspects of obtaining employment today is navigating online job applications,” Dawdy added. “With our help, students can submit them successfully and get interviews with potential employers.” In fact, this is

how she spends the majority of her time, with students and alumni, she said.

To make an appointment with the counseling center, call 503-491-7432 or stop by Room 1152.

Winter Jobs Fest helps students obtain employment now

For interviews related to this story and the full unabriged story, visit our website at: advocate-online.netSUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel at: Youtube.com/MHCCAdvocate

Students and community members immersing themselves in the Winter Jobs Fest.

“When you invest in Mt. Hood, you’re investing in yourself,”

-Paige Richardson, MHCC’s PR-

campaign specialist

Photo by NIck Pelster

Photo by Chuck Masi

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 5F e b u r a u r y 5 , 2 0 1 6

Quincy Smiththe advocate

Rehearsals for “Urinetown,” the MHCC winter musical, are in full swing, with opening night at about two weeks away.

The first act of the musical has a underlying hum of drama, tension, and revolution, leaving the audience in heavy anticipation for what’s to come in Act Two. The opening ex-position highlights the setting and title of the production: “Urinetown,” a society severely impacted by a wa-ter shortage. One corporation has a monopoly on the town’s water usage and charges the inhabitants of Uri-netown to use the public restrooms.

Mt. Hood’s theater director, Mace Archer, calls the mood of Act One “comedically oppressive.”

“It is my favorite kind of musi-cal,” Archer said. The production ad-dresses corporate greed and unequal wealth distribution in a satirical and topical way, which sets it apart from shows that Mt. Hood Community College theater have taken on in the past, he notes.

“‘Footloose’ and ‘(The) Drowsy Chaperone’ weren’t saying anything about our society,” said Archer, who is enthused to be finally “telling the story of today’s issues.”

Hope Cladwell is among the ma-jor players in Act One. In the open-

ing number, she sets out to her first day at work at her father’s company – Urinegood Co. – the corporation that has monopolized the water sup-ply in Urinetown. Having just grad-uated from “The Most Expensive University in the World” (yes, that’s what the university is called), Hope is ready to begin her career. Un-til she runs into protagonist Bobby Strong on the way to her first day of work, that is. She falls for him, and according to actor Hannah Hensley, who portrays Hope onstage, dis-covers she is “completely led by her heart and not at all her mind.”

In the midst of Act One, Hope encourages her new love to “follow his heart.” By the finale, she dis-

covers that his heart is leading him to some serious conflict with her family. “He kidnaps me,” Hensley divulged. “It ends with him picking me up and carrying me away with the mob.”

The CEO of Urinegood Co., Caldwell B. Cladwell, is played by veteran actor Michael Tippery. His character is reasonably irked by the kidnapping of his daughter, Hope.

“I naturally send policemen that I pay to find him and beat him sense-less,” said Tippery of his character. “I mean, he kidnapped my daughter!” Tippery said that Cladwell has a sta-ble demeanor through most of Act One, and though he is greedy and driven by money, his ruthless side

really begins to show once he pur-sues Bobby Strong.

“They call me the villain of the play, but I don’t kidnap anyone’s daughter,” Tippery said. In essence, he explains, Act One is about the “stirring of unpopular rebellion against an unbreakable institution.”

The MHCC ensemble for this show was highly praised by every-one interviewed, with Hensley call-ing it “the best ensemble I’ve ever worked with.” She added that almost everyone in the cast has had at least some acting experience, but there were many who had never worked on a musical before. “I’ve been do-ing musicals my whole life,” she said. “I’m really impressed with how they’re doing. They’re working real-ly hard, that’s for sure.”

“Urinetown” looks to be shap-ing into a great success. With lots of hard work being put in by the cast and crew and a riveting plot line, the production seems, , to put it lightly, worthwhile. Advance tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for MHCC stu-dents, seniors, and Mt. Hood staff members. See: mhcc.edu/Theatre-BoxOffice/

At the door, tickets will be priced at $15 for adults and $12 for stu-dents, seniors, and staff members.

The performances are set for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 19-20 and Feb. 26-27, and 2 p.m. on Feb. 21 and Feb. 28.

Aquarius- Buying almonds in bulk might not produce noticeable effects in your health, but they do so much for feng shui.

Pisces- Your sign feels a con-nection with nature; try throwing all of your electronic devices into a nearby river. You’ll be out a con-siderable amount of money, but you will have unimaginable emotional wealth.

Aries- Ranking the top 10 monkeys might not be the most productive use of your time this week, but you’ll be glad you learned about the Emperor Tamarin– which has a friggin’ sweet mustache.

Taurus- Try to stay in tune with your chakras this week: Does your butt chakra need to poop? Do your armpit chakras need deodor-ant? Ask your soul these questions. Your chakras will answer them.

Gemini- Midterms are only worth what you remember, right? Why not make this one super-mem-orable, by loudly vocalizing a sneeze mid-exam.

Cancer- Gardening is an in-credibly therapeutic activity, which is recommended for Cancers. Pro tip: Plants don’t NEED crackers to survive, but they LOVE them!

Leo- Uranus enters its third phase and some other planets are doing some stuff, so, you know, have a week.

Virgo- My advice to Virgo this week is to clean up your act. Swap the crude humor for something more distinguished. At least, that’s what your mom told me in the shower this morning.

Libra- Sometimes the best med-icine is to help someone else. Leos might feel especially directionless this week; start there.

Scorpio- Typical greeting in-teractions are just too subtle for you this week. If you want to make any impression at all on the people you meet this week, make sure to lick them from the tip of their nose to their eyebrow.

Sagittarius- You’re going to feel the need for change this week. Mohawks are a bad idea – but a body-length soul patch/Chap-lin-stache/mohawk combo is so crazy it just might work.

Capricorn- When was the last time you built a ramp for your bike? You can actually use power tools now; why haven’t you done this yet? Today is your day to achieve sixth-grade glory.

Act One addresses today’s issuesUrinetown: Part 1 of 3

Matana McIntirethe advocate

Reach to the heavens and praise all that is good: “Grease Live!” wasn’t a disappointment.

For longtime fans of the original movie released in 1978 starring Olivia Newton John and John Travolta, “Grease Live!” on FOX should have been a great experience. The live televised play was nearly the same as the 1978 movie – in fact, so much so, that the producers seemed to add content rather than take away from the original.

This decision was… questionable, at best. The first time they veered from the movie script was Keke Palmer’s performance of “Freddy My Love” during the sleepover scene. Now, I have the soundtrack for “Grease” on Vinyl, so I was

familiar with the song. But, bottom line, it’s not in the movie, and it threw me off. Also to be noted is the fact that Palmer was cast in a role (originally) with no music, but she is a singer – this leads me to believe the producers added this scene in so that Palmer could have her chance in the spotlight, which kind of bums me out, ’cause I’d like to think they would choose quality over making sure everyone had their solo. But I suppose that’s how it goes.

Another example of this is the atrocity that is the new original song created for Carly Rae Jepsen, “All I need is an Angel.” Basically, it was put in so she had a song to sing in the performance and to preface “Beauty School Drop Out,” sung by Boys II Men. The thing with this, though, was that it was literally horrible. It didn’t fit with the existing soundtrack, it felt weak (I’ve read that the techs had issues with audio levels, so her mic could’ve very well been lowered), and she was pitchy. I didn’t like it. Frenchy wouldn’t sing

a song like that; this was definitely Carly Rae Jepsen on stage and not the character Frenchy.

Despite that, though, Jepsen did well in her role as Frenchy. The whole cast did well in their roles, in fact. Vanessa Hudgens played a great Rizzo; the T-Birds were a well-rounded and talented group; the Pink Ladies all shined in their own way. I was completely pleased with the performance.

Julianne Hough takes the figurative cake, though – she was the best recreation of Sandra Dee I could ask for. When she sang songs like “Hopelessly Devoted to You” or “Summer Nights,” it almost seemed like she trained her voice to sound like Olivia Newton John’s performances of those tracks. I got chills when I saw Hough perform.

“Grease Live!” was performed on Hollywood’s iconic Warner Bros. Burbank Studios, which is over 20 acres of sets and studios. This changed the performance, and cre-ated a wonderful hybrid of typical

Broadway style theater and televi-sion. If I had to pit New York and Los Angeles against each other (compar-ing this production with those such as “The Wiz Live!” or “The Sound of Music Live!”), it’s clear that L.A. wins. The crew was able to do out-side scenes, had more fluid continuity from one set to anoth-er, and fully constructed sets that looked like rea l - l i f e structures.

There is so much more I haven’t includ-ed, and all I can recommend is to turn on the TV and watch it for yourself. Overall, I give “Grease Live!” a 4.8/5 on the Grease scale.

Grease Live! shines despite detours

4.8/5 on the Grease scale

Photo from web

Urinetown cast members run through choreography in rehearsal. Photo by Ben Baxter

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Clay Vitalethe advocate

Are you watching the big game this weekend? Of course you are, but the real question is where?

The storyline heading into the weekend is quite riveting, with Peyton Manning looking to go out in a blaze of glory (or at least tie his doofus little brother in Super Bowl rings), while the Panthers counter with Cam Newton in an attempt at their first championship since entering the NFL in 1995. Carolina has “wrecked the league” this season, but hasn’t gone up against a defense as dynamic as Denver’s yet, and are 1-3 all-time vs. the Broncos.

So, if you‘re planning on tuning in but haven’t secured your watching spot for Sunday, the Advocate is here to shine some light on the best sports bars PDX has to offer.

Just like pairing the perfect wine with the appropriate cheese, your taste in viewing should match the venue chosen on this important occasion. Sports bars are a different breed than other watering holes, typically choosing to put the emphasis on TVs and fandom rather than food and drink. The sports fan appreciates an ambience of cheering, clapping and yelling, as opposed to

the softer tones of, say the stuffy Multnomah Whiskey Library.

Let’s start with the tried-and-true local joints, right in the backyard of campus.

Geno’s Grill is located at the corner of Kane and Stark, and features a full fare of good ol’ American eats, such as Buffalo chicken dip, a pretty standard selection of adult beverages, a competitively priced happy hour and open seating in the dining room surrounded by televisions.

Heading further down Stark will situate you in front of Skyland Pub, a staple in the East County. Skyland is a massive bar divided into two sections – the bar / restaurant area enveloped in televisions, and the gaming / gambling section with more TVs, darts, pool tables and video poker. The busy Troutdale bar invites you in with a heated wooden patio and loads of parking, then keeps you around with a rocking jukebox (replaced of course by the booming sound of Levi Stadium), prompt table service, good food and strong drink. This place has sheer size on its side, easily able to accommodate over 100 thirsty fans.

The next bar on the list, and the closest to resemble a “dive,” is The Tanker, set on trendy Southeast

Hawthorne Boulevard. It’s a saloon, with big port hole windows cut into the side, serving canned beer (among the traditional drafts), naughty bingo, ski-ball and, you guessed it, sporting events on the big screens. The Tanker ditches sophistication to bring simple elements back to the neighborhood tavern. With plenty of screens littered within its small confines, there’s not a bad seat in the house to take in the game.

On Deck Sports Bar and Grill lives life on the other side of the coin, resembling a restaurant you’d likely encounter on the Las Vegas strip. Located in Portland’s Pearl District, it compliments upscale decor with HD flat screens and sports memorabilia throughout the restaurant. Super Bowl 50 will pack the place, and for those wanting to lock down a seat, it will cost $25 for the reservation but that includes an appetizer and drink ticket. There will be prize giveaways at the half and after the game.

The novelty winner has to go to The Station, an up-to-date restaurant that took residence in the original home of Northwestern Electric Co. on Alberta. Subtle reminders of the power station’s past are apparent throughout the taproom as skylights have replaced the original ventilation shafts and the high voltage rack is still attached to the ceiling in the bar.

The Station also breaks the mold

because it’s focused on an advanced menu, with eclectic offerings like “Crater Tots” - crawfish tail meat with Yukon gold potatoes and creole aïoli... intriguing, indeed. It can transform into the sports pub persona beyond the six large flat screens fixed on the walls, as two massive projector screens drop down to turn up the sportage amps.

Neon lights splash color all over the Bucket Brigade Sports Bar on Southeast Powell Boulevard, where cheap drinks and the video lottery are the name of the game. This cocktail lounge touts 17 televisions and “the coldest beer in town” to attract regular clients. They offer a package of Buffalo wings and a pitcher of beer during the game, price TBD.

For the any-ager, the staff pick consensus pick is The Station for its well-executed environment and next-level fare; for those with a proclivity for raucousness, there’s no match for Skyland.

SPORTS PAGEF e b r u a r y 5 , 2 0 1 6 7The Advocate’s guide to Super Bowl spectating

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Patrons take in a game at The Station in Northeast Portland, a prime viewing spot for Super Bowl 50. Web Photo

SPORTSPAGE a d v o c a t e - o n l i n e . n e t8Mt. Hood plays with guts, not gloryClay Vitale and Jon Fucillothe advocate

Women’s fierce comeback

falls short

Both Saints basketball teams traveled to Vancouver, Wash., on Wednesday to take on the Penguins of Clark College.

The 7-13 women’s team (2-7 in league play) tipped off first against the 14-8 (6-4) Penguins in a game that came down to the wire. For three quarters it looked as though the Clark Penguins were going to run the table, as the Saints trailed by 22 points before the start of the 4th quarter. While keeping it close at 31-25 after the first half, the Saints had come out flat in the third and were outscored 23-7.

The “Fab 5” then flipped the switch and made a furious comeback, climbing within 3 points in the final seconds, before losing, 64-59.

“We didn’t play our game at all the first three quarters,” said 5-foot-10-inch sophomore Madison Weaver. “We played down to their level instead of playing at ours. That was the difference in the fourth quarter – we played our game.” Weaver totaled 14 points and seven rebounds, but Mt. Hood was led by Jesse Morris with six n a i l e d 3s, 24 total points and three steals.

“We got down by 20 in the third quarter and we were playing h o r r i b l e then turned it back up in t h e

f o u r t h , ” said Morris. The deficit

proved too large and there was too little time left.

“We didn’t execute in the first half,” said head coach John Hawley. “And in the third quarter we couldn’t buy a basket.” The Saints employed a full-court press in the fourth, something they’ve done earlier on in the year but had to limit because of the absence of any bench players.

“We’re pretty disappointed because we know we are a better team and should have had that one, but I am proud of how we came back,” said Morris. “Not many teams can do that like we do. We are moving on to the next game with confidence.

“We should have won with the five of us, simple as that.”

Men have full team effort

The Saints men, at 4-17 overall (1-9 league), took the court shortly after the women’s game against a Clark team trending in the opposite direction. The Penguins sit atop the NWAC at 18-4 overall, 9-1 in league, and look to be an early NWAC tournament favorite.

Early on, the sides traded three-point blows before Clark started pouring it on and pulling away to win, 97-77. Saints coach Hawley said, “We had great looks early on, but you just can’t slow them down” in referencing the Penguins’ fast pace. The squads had similar totals in steals, assists, blocks and turnovers, which allowed Mt. Hood to go toe-to-toe with Clark. They lost the rebound battle 34-24, but had noticeable improvements in their season averages in field

goal percentage (48 percent), free-throw percentage (86 percent) and three pointers made (11-for-27). Unfortunately, the Penguins had the advantage in speed, and according to Hawley, can “score at any position.

“They’ll beat you off the dribble, their speed is unreal, and then it just depends on whether you want to allow a two- or three-point play, they’re that good.”

Clark shot an absurd 64 percent from the floor, an even better 67 percent from downtown, which usually only happens in video games. “Clark is No. 1 in the conference for a reason,” said Hawley, whose squad was led by Luke Anderson, clocking 20:16 off the bench and dropping 19 points, with four steals. Cody Thompson was right behind with 16 points and four assists, Trent Baker and Mak Hutson each threw down

10 points, and Jamal Muhammad, often double-teamed, finished with nine points and tied Kody Kennedy with five boards.

The first half saw Mt. Hood sink a bit, trailing 45-29 before hitting full stride in the second. “We played together better and had a full team effort off the bench,” said Hawley. His team put up 48 points in the last 20 minutes, rivaling the 52 points that Clark scored. Although they ended up on the wrong side of the score, the Saints revealed more positives than negatives with more cohesive play and some growth on the hardwood.

The Saints’ women and men next take on the Chemeketa Storm on Wednesday at the Mt. Hood gymnasium at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., respectively.

Oregon showing in Super Bowl Jon Fuccillothe advocate

Since 2012, Carolina Panthers right tackle and former Jesuit High School standout Mike Remmers has bounced around the NFL and played for five teams, including the Denver Broncos for four weeks before being cut. Now, the 6-foot-5 inch, 305-pounder is starting and protecting Cam Newton on the offensive line in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, when the Panthers square off with Peyton Manning and Co. at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Remmers, a walk-on at Oregon State University, has a difficult task in front of him when he lines up against All-Pros DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller.

Jesuit head coach Ken Potter said he’s very excited to see his former player playing on the biggest stage, since it hasn’t been an easy journey for the 26-year-old. Remmers wasn’t offered a single scholarship coming out of high school, but he went on to start all four years for former OSU coach Mike Riley. He went undrafted, but that never stopped the big fella.

“Yes, it’s surreal, but so satisfying to see a young man have a dream come true,” said Potter. “I know that for Carolina to win, Mike must block the best defensive ends in the league and pick up the different stunt packages that the Broncos bring. I am worried for him, but knowing Mike, he is calm... He has done his homework and will be ready.” Remmers played both nose guard on defense and offensive tackle, and because of his athleticism (he played basketball too), Potter often pulled him on offensive sweeps.

He isn’t the only player with Oregon ties on the Panthers. Former Beavers star Derek Anderson (Scappoose High School product) backs up Superman (Newton) at quarterback. Ex-Beaver defensive lineman Dwan Edwards plays defensive tackle. Carolina also has two former Oregon Ducks, running back Jonathan Stewart and tight end Ed Dickson. And if it wasn’t a small enough world, the Panthers also suit up Scappoose native and former Texas State standout David Mayo.

In all, the Panthers have six players with Oregon ties – not too shabby.

Mak Hutson tosses from the charity stripe in Wednesday night’s 97-77 loss to the Clark Penguins. Hutson came in off the bench to start the second half and finished with 10 points, 4 assists and a rebound.

Above: Kody Kennedy goes up for the lay-in at Clark College on Wednesday night. The Saints dropped the match to the Penguins. Left: Alexis Imbler has played a solid center for the “Fab 5” women’s team.

Photos top and bottom by Ryan Robbins

Left photo by Jeff Hinds