As my time in the Middle College program at Mt. Hood comes to an end, I’ve been thinking about everything these past two years have taught me – not just academically, but personally. I started this journey unsure of what I could handle, surrounded by doubt (including my own), and somehow ended up with not only a degree but an entirely new perspective on who I am and what I’m capable of. These weren’t just school years; they were life years, full of long nights, hard choices,

“How do I deal with a one-sided friendship without feeling guilty?” I’ve noticed that a friend only reaches out when they need something – help, advice, or support –but when I need the same, they ignore me or act distant. It’s starting to feel very one-sided, and I’m questioning whether I did something wrong or if they just don’t value me the same way. I don’t want to be petty or rude, but I also don’t want to keep giving my time and energy to someone who doesn’t reciprocate.

Illustration by Cortlan Souders Since 2023, I’ve done little things to help my parents. I do the grocery shopping, pick up the small household stuff, buy the personal items they need before they even ask. I do it not because they can’t, but because it takes one thing off their plate. It’s my way of saying thank you for giving me a home, for letting me stay while I chase something bigger, something that’s taking a while. Over time, I started noticing how much things cost – not

I hate to say it, but I love this school a lot. It damn sure is not perfect but it and the great people that work at this school have helped change my life for the better. But, sometimes things happen in ugly ways, and you must have some uncomfortable conversations for there to be some sort of resolution. In Fall Term of 2024 students who participate in the Federal Work Study (FWS) program got an early Christmas – or so we thought. The per-term income limit for some students

Let me start with this: I’ve been a Mt. Hood Community College student for what feels like forever – but in a good, character-building kind of way. I technically started in high school through dual enrollment, so I’ve been juggling college classes since I was a teenager. Now, I’m about to graduate and transfer to Portland State University. It’s exciting, exhausting, and honestly, very emotional. They say an associate degree takes two years. That sounds nice in theory. Maybe i

Clear Advice for Real Problems Student engagement is something we believe the Advocate can help strengthen — and that’s why we’re launching a brand-new advice column!This space is for YOU. Whether you’re facing a challenge, looking for guidance, or just want to share your story, we’re here to listen and respond. How it works:Use this link to submit your questions or stories. Everything is completely anonymous — your identity will not be shared, and responses will remain anony

One of the best things the 20th century had to offer was space exploration. I find it incredibly lucky today to live in an age where space exploration is even possible – especially as someone who wants to make astronomy my career.However, I have always felt that going to space needs to have a purpose. What purpose does sending six people into space for only 11 minutes have? I’ll answer that, none!Blue Origin is a spacecraft company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. On April

A school with ample facilities and a community of passionate, high-quality students, Mt. Hood Community College carries with it an appearance that is truly weird, feeling like it’s not what it’s supposed to be.As an MHCC student, you might have the same feeling as I that this place is missing something, right? Perhaps you’re also puzzled, not quite sure what I’m referring to here, because maybe we haven’t spent enough time lingering around the college after each class to trul

What is the “Let Them” Theory? It’s a mindset or approach to life that says: If people want to do something – talk behind your back, exclude you, not support you, act unfairly – let them.Instead of wasting your energy trying to change others, prove yourself, or control how people act, you just let them act out and focus on what you can control: your peace, your goals, and your values. Right now, I’m going through a difficult situation, a messy, uncomfortable one. There’s a gr

Understanding Digital Distraction It took 22 million years for humans to develop their brains in order to think more wisely and respond to their environment for survival. And guess what? Within just a decade, with the remarkable development of social media platforms, humans have succeeded in reversing the above process to get closer to their ancestors from millions of years ago. Sounds stupid, right? And that is exactly what’s happening with this generation: We call it “brain

Path to College Dreams Strewn With Stones Entering college is often seen as an exciting chapter in life – a time for independence, new friendships, and self-discovery. But for many students, it can also be when mental health struggles, especially depression, begin to surface. Growing up, movies and people at school made college seem for me like the ultimate dream: moving away, being independent, living in dorms, going to parties, the whole deal. But as I got older, I started

Avoiding Collisions in Idealisms Everyone in this world has some idea of what an ideal society should look like, and we often place our impossible concepts of perfection into competition with the impossible conceptions of others. Because of this, we divide ourselves, pushing us into narrow paths of thinking. By learning about the perspectives of others, however, we are able to enrich both ourselves and the communities around us. Yet, if you think about one person’s ideal soci

High School Vs. Real Life The biggest lie I’ve been sold in my four years of high school is the idea that life will just fall into place. Every coming-of-age movie on Netflix shows the character walking across the graduation stage, heading straight to some Ivy League school, ready to conquer the world. Images sourced from web. But they don’t show the sleepless nights spent filling out endless scholarship forms, the constant worry about how to pay for basic expenses like car i

One vet’s perspective on the college experience at Mt. Hood and the cultural differences It is almost hard to write a point-of-view article as a military veteran. Every veteran has their own unique experience, just like every person. I have had hardships and trauma. I am sure there are students here that have gone through their own individual events and analogous parallels. Someone’s worst day is their worst day. Some of us couldn’t name a worst day, because we have had a few

When you celebrate thanksgiving, the fascists win. Abandon tradition – Observe First Christmas instead. Fuck Thanksgiving! What a stupid holiday. Y’all have access to the internet. By now I’m sure you’re aware of what a smug twisting of history it is to celebrate genocide; if not, you probably got other stuff to unpack so I’ll save my breath on that topic. Putting all that aside, it’s still such a mediocre holiday. Turkey sucks. It’s never cooked right and it’s always so dry.

While high school students can be ahead of the curve, traversing bureaucracy can disproportionately affect them. At Mt. Hood Community College, nearly 23% of students are high-schoolers from a variety of area schools and districts. Through dual enrollment programs like Middle College and College Now, MHCC offers these students an incredible opportunity to get a head start on college by taking college-level courses – sometimes even working toward an associate degree before the

You know when your younger sibling wanted to play a video game with you, but you didn’t want to teach them how, so instead you hand them an unplugged controller and gaslight them into thinking they’re the NPC? That’s basically how voting in America works. If you care at all about your country, don’t vote. I’m not just a cynic, either. It’s been illegal to vote for the Communist Party in America since 1953, and even if you ain’t no filthy pinko rat-bastard, I think you can see

There I was, covered in grease and soy sauce, scrubbing down the charred grill. This was maybe my 137th time cleaning this grill at the end of an evening rush. I have no idea how I still had this job after eight months of being mediocre. I had never cooked anything except cheap ramen noodles and cereal, but here I was, an almost full-time cook in a Korean restaurant. I was 17, and this was my first crummy job of many. This is what I took away from it. And I took away a lot I

Three months ago, on July 1, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that presidents have an “absolute immunity” against criminal prosecution for “official acts” that are within the authority of the executive branch. The issue arose in former President Donald Trump’s appeal of federal prosecution of charges that he actively attempted to overturn results of the 2020 presidential election, while still in office, In response to the 6-3 majority decision of the Court, Justice Sonia Sotama

Artwork by Devin Singh It has been an amazing year working with The Advocate, being able to contribute to every issue as much as I can. The freedom of bringing in my ideas and having them seen has always given me this feeling that I cannot describe. On top of that, I get to work with the most talented and passionate people who come into a room together to make The Advocate, who are willing to help and give wonderful ideas for the next comic I may draw. I recommend anyone with