Kaung Sat Han The Advocate International students, tasked with future planning often face navigating school, finances and strict visa rules. Recently, a proposed U.S. immigration rule could end or restrict Optional Practical Training (OPT) which is a program that allows students to work in their related studies field after graduation to gain work experience. OPT currently allows international students to work in the United States for up to 12 months in their related studies

On Saturday, May 3, Mt. Hood Community College celebrated the 50th year of Head Start, which it hosts on its Gresham campus. The fiesta-themed event was attended by various community organizations involved in early childhood education and community support, which the federally funded Head Start program provides to about 800,000 children nationally. Dr. Hilda Pena-Alfaro, MHCC executive director of childhood development and family services, told The Advocate, “We are celebrati

By: Brandonn Catabay The Advocate The year a building was completed largely determines the occupant’s safety during the next big earthquake, and MHCC finished building its Gresham campus in the 1970s, well before the implementation of seismic codes or the discovery of the Cascadia subduction zone in 1988. But Mt. Hood isn’t alone, in this regard. According to a 2022 video from PBS, which ran a special on Oregon’s buildings and seismic safety, 70% of the built infrastructure i

On May 16, state Reps. Zach Hudson and Ricki Ruiz, Democrats who represent House districts 49 and 50 in the Oregon Legislature in Salem, participated in a forum in the MHCC Visual Art Gallery Theatre. Just days before the May 20 special election that decided the fate of MHCC’s proposed $136 million bond measure, the two discussed federal and state budget concerns and other pressing issues during the session. The forum was moderated by The Advocate’s S. Cousins and Christopher

MHCC President Lisa Skari (left) and MHCC Board Chair Diane McKeel (right) at a May 21 Board of Education meeting after the bond passed. After initial results of the proposed $136 million Mt. Hood Community College bond measure were posted the evening of May 20, election day, showing it lagging in support, the next vote updates showed it gaining support as additional mail ballots were counted. Now, from a narrow lead of just 11 votes on May 21, the winning margin has increase

2025-26 ASMHCC members, left to right: Jared Young, Becca King, Andrew Gonzalez, Liana Navarro, Jeffrey Erickson, Rachel Jones, Niang San Cing, Elaria Salib, Isaias Figeroa, Rhuan Carneiro. Not pictured: Brooklyn Noel, Nam Dang,Stephani Ortiz Moreno. The Associated Students of Mt. Hood Community College’s (ASMHCC) election for student body president and vice president for 2025-26 has concluded, with the Office of Student Life announcing on April 24 that Jeffery Erickson and E

Left to right incoming 2025-2026 ASMHCC president, Jeffrey Erickson, and acting 2024-2025 ASMHCC president Rachel Jones. The new Mt. Hood student body president for 2025-26 has ambitious goals for next year’s student leadership team. Jeffery Erickson told The Advocate during his campaign that his primary goals were to be responsive to the needs of students, build community by running social events for students, put work into cleaning up the campus grounds, and the challenging

HOW THE MHCC CAMPUS MIGHT FARE AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE The proposed $136 million bond measure for Mt. Hood Community College on the May 20 special election ballot would help pay for badly needed repairs and upgrades at the Gresham campus.Perhaps deserving a top priority: Addressing campus areas most vulnerable to devastating earthquake damage. All Photos by Leo Fontneau Daina Hardisty, a geology instructor at MHCC, recently produced a video clip for the college where she argued t

MHCC Barney’s Pantry Photo by Leo Fontneau Mt. Hood students who use Barney’s Pantry are already feeling the effects of recent Trump administration budget reductions. At the beginning of April, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture reduced the amount of food it supplied to food banks nationwide through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which included the Oregon Food Bank, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. Steve Herff, coordinator for Barney’s Pantry, said the cutb

WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED APRIL 24 I have high hopes for the 2025-26 student body leadership, as there are two candidates running for both president and vice president of the Associated Students of Mt. Hood Community College (ASMHCC):· Jeffery Erickson and Heart Pham as student body president· Rhuan Carneiro and Elaria Salibas as student body vice presidentErickson said he is running because he’s passionate about making a real difference on campus. One of his top priorities is

The long–sought Mt. Hood Community College bond measure (following a handful of unsuccessful attempts, the most recent in 2017) is finally going to have its moment on the ballot, again.Oregon’s May 20 special election will include the $136.4 million tax proposal for all property owners in the college’s far-reaching district, which was formally adopted on Jan. 15 by the MHCC District Board of Education.The summary submitted to explain the bond proposal to voters mostly focuses

PUSHBACK AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION Unfortunately, it’s not a bold statement to say that we live in some very troubling and interesting times. No matter what side of the political fence you sit on, I think that’s something we can all agree upon. I have never been very active when it comes to politics, but as a result of current events, that’s changed. So, on Tuesday, March 4, I decided I would attend my first protest, in downtown Portland. The day began with me nervously ta

2025 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY AT MHCC Celebrating International Women’s Day at MHCC means honoring the women who have continuously worked hard to achieve their own personal dreams and make positive impacts in our communities. The focus in this year’s event, held March 6 in the Student Union, was to recognize some of the inspirational and hardworking women at MHCC, including those in vitally important healthcare fields. Special guest speaker Fernanda Baños Cervantes, communi

Union to vote on new contract The MHCC administration and the college’s Classified Employees Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract, both sides have confirmed. The pending agreement reached on March 5, to be voted on by CEA members by March 17, would replace the previous five-year contract that expired last June 30. Mt. Hood’s District Board has scheduled an executive session prior to its regularly scheduled meeting on March 19 to address the n

The Promises and Pitfalls at MHCC AI – artificial intelligence – is gradually shaping the way we interact with technology, from enhancing search engines to providing grammar suggestions in real time. Its uses are growing, especially now in education, where it offers new ways to support teaching and learning. Curious about how AI is being used at MHCC, I reached out to instructors and advisors to learn more. My aim was to discover how AI is being implemented in our Mt. Hood cl

A proposed Mt. Hood Community College operating budget for the 2025-26 academic year includes an increase in tuition – but would still exceed expected revenue, pushing the college’s reserves to the limit, according to the college’s budget director. At the Feb. 19 MHCC District Board of Education meeting, Jennifer DeMent, the vice president of finance and administration, presented the college’s budget assumptions for the upcoming year. To address rising costs, a tuition increa

UNION OUTLINES STRIKE THREAT A storm of a different type is brewing on campus. Representatives of the college’s Classified Employees Association who addressed the Feb. 11 meeting of the Mt. Hood student body government delivered a strong message: The bargaining group that includes MHCC’s non-teaching and non-administrative staff is prepared to strike soon if a new labor contract isn’t reached with the college. CEA employees attending an MHCC District Board meeting in November

From Federal to the Classroom Based on interview with MHCC political science instructor Janet Campbell, who led a Feb. 11 Zoom discussion on the topic. What is an Executive Order? On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing over 3 million enslaved individuals across 10 states. However, the enforcement of this order was dependent on Union military victories. While monumental, the Emancipation Proclamation was not passed as a law but

The employment office’s successful efforts to increase the wages of work study positions and to better connect students to those positions created a ‘perfect storm.’ On Jan. 15, Christopher Natelborg, the director of Financial Aid at MHCC, informed students participating in Federal Work Study positions that maximum dollar awards for Winter and Spring terms would be reduced, from $2,400 to $1,500 per term. According to Natelborg, the college had so successfully increased stude

“Goods are available to all students with an MHCC Student ID, and the process is simple.” Barney’s Pantry has a brand-new location, and it’s bigger, better, and more stocked than ever before. Yes, as of this month, Barney’s Pantry has officially moved and now has a larger space to serve students with more new food options. The new pantry – in Building 12, filling the longtime former bookstore space off MHCC’s Main Mall central courtyard – feels just like a grocery store, with