FROM COSTUMES TO CAREERS

CAMPUS COMES ALIVE WITH OCTOBER EVENTS

From pumpkin decorating and blood donations to career opportunities and Halloween celebrations, Mt. Hood Community College hosted a variety of events in late October, bringing students, staff and community members together across campus. 

On Monday, Oct. 26, the international students hosted a Pumpkin-SOUP-erstitions event, held in the International Student Program office. According to the flyers displayed throughout the campus, participants were invited to “enjoy pumpkin soup, share superstitions from your country and decorate a pumpkin.” 

A blood drive was held in the Student Union on Oct. 27-28 with international students hosting an  activity to rank snacks provided at the event.

Students and staff volunteered to donate blood at MHCC’s fall blood drive. Photo by Emmanuel Sanchez

MHCC student Cassidy Thao shared her experience attempting to donate blood for the first time.

“I’ve never donated blood before. I was entirely afraid of the sight of blood, but the staff reassured me and gave me some helpful tips for next time,” Thao wrote.

Although she was unable to donate, Thao said the screening process helped ease her concerns.

“I felt better knowing they weren’t just letting anyone donate. They followed their procedures carefully which eased my nerves, knowing I was in good hands.”

She also reported that they gave her some helpful hints for next time. “They told me not only should I drink and eat enough on the day of the donation, but more importantly, in the days leading up to the donation. Focusing on red meats and iron dense foods at least three days before donation also helps the process,” she wrote. “They test each person’s hemoglobin levels to determine a person’s eligibility.”

Wednesday, Oct. 28, was an especially busy day on campus, with the blood drive, a domestic violence awareness event, the Career Fair and Dance Til’ You’re Dead, a Halloween-themed dance hosted by Dance Dance Club.

The domestic violence awareness event included speakers and activities focused on

promoting healthy relationships.

CONNECTING WITH CAREERS

One of the larger events, MHCC’s Career Fair, welcomed both students and members of the surrounding community. MHCC hosts multiple career fairs each year, according to staff members who helped organize the event, the Oct. 28 fair was a good representation of a typical MHCC career fair. 

Approximately 310 people attended, including 210 MHCC students and alumni and 100 other community members. 

Before walking in, an MHCC staff member offered all attendees a quick brief about what to expect and a helpful packet containing information on important tips for those unfamiliar with career fairs. 

After signing in, attendees were invited to browse tables representing companies and organizations, actively recruiting employees. Many opportunities were concentrated in military and government positions, engineering, emergency services and medical fields, although a variety of other businesses and industries were represented as well.

Attendees expressed mixed opinions about the variety of opportunities available. Some felt there was a substantial selection, while others said there were few options related to their intended fields. 

Sydney Frost, dean of MHCC’s Career Planning and Counseling Center, helped run the event and discussed the challenges facing both employers and job seekers.

“The job market is weird right now. We were noticing, just with employers who are actually recruiting, that there’s fewer than we’ve had in the past, but we still have demand from our job seekers,” — Sydney Frost, MHCC Career Planning and Counseling Center

The Career Fair benefits  not only job seekers, but also recruiters looking to connect with potential employees. 

Rachel Russo, representing knife manufacturer Benchmade, explained why the company continues to recruit at MHCC.  

“We target Mt. Hood Community College specifically. You guys have amazing mechatronic programs, manufacturing programs, and we’ve had really, I think, high potential candidates that have come up, that have expressed interest, that have the right skill sets. For us I think it’s always a fruitful career fair,” Russo said. 

Cody Ching with the City of Gresham Police Department, was pleasantly surprised with the turnout at their department’s table. 

“There’s a lot of people that are coming to speak to us that you can tell they are genuinely interested in the jobs that are being offered, and not like they’re here because they have to be here,” Ching said.

DANCING INTO HALLOWEEN

Dance Dance Club welcomed more than 50 students, staff and community members to its first standalone event, the Halloween-themed Dance Til’ You’re Dead.

This celebration featured a photo booth, face painting, food and a Halloween-themed Mafia game. Spiderwebs, curtains and streamers helped transform the room into a spooky setting the attendees loved.

The turnout was a promising start for the club’s first independently hosted event, rounding out a busy week of activities that brought the MHCC community together.