MHCC EVENTS IN FEBRUARY: RECAP

During the month of February, MHCC staged a variety of events for students and others to participate in – many, but not all, centered on Black History Month.

On Feb. 12, Mt. Hood hosted the event “The Journey Beyond Transfer: A Conversation with MHCC Alumni.” A panel of Saints alumni discussed their experiences at Mt. Hood, and where their educational journey took them once they moved on to another institution.

Alumni from all across the country joined via a Zoom session. They gave advice to current MHCC students, such as using resources around campus to help with one’s education. These important tools include the Academic Advising and Transfer Center, the campus library and the Learning Resource Center.

The panelists described their experiences at Mt. Hood, as well as the major positives and challenges of college. Many have pursued technical-oriented careers or transferred to four-year universities.

Each of the panelists gave great insights into their personal stories and offered to help current students in any way possible. It made for an interesting event, and I definitely learned some helpful tips for the rest of my time at Mt. Hood.

One of the many Black History Month series events sponsored by MHCC took place on Feb. 18: The animated short film “Hair Love” (seven minutes) was shown, and one of its directors, Matthew Cherry, spoke with Tyler Whipple, vice president of inclusive excellence at American Family Insurance.

The Oscar-winning short, released in 2019, features the story of a father who does his daughter’s hair for the first time as she prepares to go out socially. At first, his daughter struggles, but then he helps her out and they get through it together. The film details their experiences as they go through this adventure, with music that connects well to each moment.

As a former NFL football player, Cherry explained his transition into the film industry. He described how he got the idea and inspiration for Hair Love: He said he started seeing many videos of parents doing their children’s hair, and also noticed that the videos of fathers doing the hair got more online views than videos that featured mothers doing the same.

Cherry described his experiences in the film industry and his own move to California. Other films he has worked on include “The Last Fall” (2012), “9 Rides” (2016), and “Forward” (2016). He’s been nominated for Goodreads Choice Awards Best Picture Books honors, and the NAACP Image Award for outstanding literary work in the children’s category.

It was interesting listening to Cherry and Tyler Whipple talk and learn more about the story behind the film.