For the first time since the campus was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Student Government of Mt Hood Community College (ASMHCC) can proudly say it has both a student body president and vice president working together! During the tumultuous three years post-COVID outbreak, the group has had one or the other in office – but not both. Now Javier Estrada and Emily Phoun, elected by fellow students last spring, will represent the student body this 2023-24 a

Well – school is back in session, and student clubs at Mt. Hood Community College are starting back up again. There are many clubs that can mesh with those amazing talents so many people have, or new talents they may wish to embark on. These clubs give students the opportunity to get a deeper more meaningful grasp of community and learn more about the things they are interested in, without the added pressure. Truly, these clubs are a great way to expand one’s horizons and ope

The United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has released a 25-page advisory on the impact of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. The document calls for increased awareness of how social media affects youth and creates recommendations for what can be done to protect their mental health. The advisory issued on May 23 begins by acknowledging that social media can have both positive and negative effects on youth. Potential benefits of social me

Results of the Mt. Hood student body vote for Associated Student Government president and vice president positions for 2023-24 were announced on May 30. A week later, we were able to catch up with newly elected President Javier Estrada and Vice President Emily Phoun – asking about their plans, inspirations and hopes for MHCC. One of their shared goals is starting up a broadcast/podcast called “The Barney Broadcast,” a shared project of The Advocate and the ASMHCC. This would

There is fun coming all afternoon to Mt. Hood Community College on Thursday, June 1, in the form of Barney Bash, meant to celebrate the end of another successful academic year. Hosted by the MHCC Office of Student Life and Civic Engagement, the Bash will run from noon to 7 p.m. in MHCC’s Main Mall and the Student Union – absolutely free to all visitors, whether students, staff, or community members of all ages. Starting at noon, a photo booth, obstacle course, bungee obstacle

Republican Oregon state senators have been walking out of this year’s session of the Oregon Legislature for over two weeks now and show no sign of stopping soon. This has brought action in Salem largely to a halt. This isn’t the first walkout in recent times. In 2021, House Republicans walked out for two days over a bill that would redrawn Oregon congressional districts heavily in Democrats’ favor. The GOP has participated in six walkouts just since 2019. Democrats are not st

Photo from REUTERS/Leah Millis In a critical moment for the United States, lawmakers find themselves locked in a fierce struggle concerning the federal debt ceiling. With the nation rapidly approaching its current debt limit, the fate of the country’s financial markets and its population lies in the hands of Congress, which must unite in order to raise the current debt limit. Failing to do so could lead to a potentially devastating default on loans, resulting in the suspensio

Earlier this month, Mt. Hood Community College held a Student Transfer panel event: Several former MHCC students who transferred to four-year institutions were interviewed about the jump and shared a lot of helpful advice and information about the process. Here is a summary of what the panel members had to say: First, prospective transfer students are encouraged to take as many of your required credits here at MHCC as possible. Most likely, credits here are MHCC will be signi

Returning to publishing and posting full issues in 2022, The Advocate again scored a strong showing in the annual Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association (ONPA) competition for student-run newspapers. In results announced during the May 5 Collegiate Day seminar and awards ceremony online by the ONPA, Advocate staff won four first-place awards and 17 staff or individual awards overall – capped by a clean sweep in the Best Section category. The Advocate’s work was judged agai

On Monday, May 8, the MHCC District Board of Education and President Lisa Skari held a Town Hall session in the Student Union, which offered students a direct pipeline to voice their concerns about the college to the administrators in charge. Issues raised by students who attended included the lack of food options on campus, the condition of facilities, and the instructor shortage in specific departments, especially the Computer Science and Head Start programs. Several studen

Recently I decided to wake up at 5 a.m. and go watch the sunrise. It was an amazing experience. I went to Chanticleer Point at the Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint, just west of Crown Point in the Columbia River Gorge. To me, that is the best place to watch the sunrise around here. The layers of the Gorge are like a sea of colors – orange, purple, dark blue, yellow and many other hues. It was a beautiful, priceless painting you could only experience through your

In March, Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center closed its birth center, citing staff shortages and financial losses. Announcement of this move in January immediately sparked widespread controversy within the greater Gresham and East Multnomah County community for several reasons. Now, after heavy opposition from state and local lawmakers and health advocates, the hospital has reversed course – and the center will reopen by this summer. One reason for the controversy is that when

Student Life – organizations that consist of, and support, students – is a significant part of any college campus. As part of this, a student government ensures that the college administration hears students’ voices and interests. Here at Mt. Hood, the Associated Student Government at MHCC (known as the Associated Students of MHCC, or ASMHCC) also organizes student-led clubs, events, and activities. Each year a president and vice president are chosen to oversee the student go

The following is an overview of the main election items facing East Portland and East Multnomah County voters in the May 16 Special Election. This is only scratching the surface of what is on the ballot this election. Scan the QR code to read through the online Voter Pamphlet. Note: Due to a printing error, delivery of mail ballots will be delayed until May 2, county officials announced this week. MULTNOMAH COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 3 The Board of Commissioners a

Pumping your own gasoline is commonplace in all but two U.S. states: Oregon and New Jersey. And ever since 1951, when the Oregon Legislature passed a bill prohibiting vehicle operators from using self-service pumps, there has been a growing debate about whether Oregonians should be allowed to pump their own gas. The chance that ban could soon be dropped is looking strong, however. Initially state lawmakers restricted self-service at gas stations because of the potential safet

Four of the seven seats on the MHCC District Board of Education are up for grabs on May 16, but only one contest is contested. That contested Zone 5 race features two newcomers hoping to succeed Kenney Polson, who will step down from the Board in July after serving eight years. Five members represent distinct zones of the district, while two more serve in an at-large capacity. Each serves a four-year term. The District Board oversees the college president, sets tuition/fee an

Earth Day has become a widely known holiday throughout the world. Since April 1970, the first Earth Day marked in the United States, volunteers have been picking up trash in parks and public squares, planting new vegetable gardens and fir trees, and learning how to become more environmentally conscious. Earth Day is such an important worldwide event because, before 1970, there were no federal agencies to protect the U.S. environment. Because of the recognition that first desi

A permanent, retractable roof may be coming to Mt. Hood Community College’s outdoor 50-meter swim pool. With the estimated $6.6 million addition, paid in part by outside organizations, the college hopes to host additional and possibly year-round swim events that would justify the cost. That’s the idea explained by Andrew Jackman, the MHCC Aquatic Center director, to the college District Board as it moves through the very early stages of planning the project. The new cover wou

Artificial intelligence has made significant strides in recent years, and one of the latest breakthroughs in this field of language models is ChatGPT. This AI is a language model that will answer questions and prompts with data from the internet. Specifically, ChatGPT is designed to generate humanlike responses to a given question or task. This technology is one of the first rolled out to a vast population. This January (2023), only two months after ChatGPT’s launch, it surpa

Since the beginning of the 21st century, droughts have plagued the western United States. According to the official U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) program, severe droughts affected over 80% of western land area at their recent peak in 2021. Although water shortages are especially prominent in the Southwest, Oregon has also experienced continuous droughts since 2020. As shown in an updated map released by the USDM April 6, 13 of Oregon’s 36 counties are currently experiencing mod