MHCC Survival Guide

Graphic by Ayla Buckner

College, where it takes you 15 minutes to find parking – here are some things you should know about MHCC:

Orientation Center: Located on the south side of the main Academic center buildings, in the 1000s, is the student orientation resource. Here you can get help registering for classes and on student loans.

Parking: It’ll take you forever to find a spot for your 2003 Honda Civic. If you have a class after 9, you might as well give up on close-in parking. The Advocate’s secret is that the rear (lower) parking lots always have lots of room to spare.

Bikes: If you ride a bike to school and find you have a low tire, there is a bike fixing station on the north side of the main campus. It has a stand for lifting and holding bikes in the air, along with an air pump and several tools.

Campus: MHCC is basically an open campus, in the fact that hallways are outside. Fall and winter term weather gets cold, so suit up! Boots, scarves, jackets – they’re all needed. You can always shed your layers when you get inside your class but usually the concrete building is good at keeping it cool.

Food and coffee: There are five spots on campus that house food or coffee. Vista dining, the main cafeteria, is located on the far south side of the main campus, on the upper floor. You order, they make the food. Vista dining basically has anything you want to eat. In the Bookstore there is a small coffee stand along with isles of snack food. On the far north side of the college on the second floor is the St.  Helens café. The café has coffee and food run by the same contractor as Vista dining. MHCC’s other café is in the Library on the second floor, a smaller nook called the Readers Cup. The last place to find food is Barney’s Pantry – a place for those students in need. If you have a current student ID and show it to ASG (Mt. Hood’s student government) and are in need of food or personal hygiene products, they are happy to share.

Microwaves: Several microwaves reside in rooms all across MHCC. If you find yourself a niche, there’s a good chance you’ll also get a microwave. We at the Advocate understand this very well, though our microwave only works when we slam it. You can find microwaves inside the Vista dining room, the Student Union, Bookstore, and one in the St. Helens Cafe. Buddying up to a staff member can also be useful when lines start to form behind the public microwaves.

Printers: Most people don’t know that there is a $3 fee that goes towards printing essays in the computer labs. The main computer is in the 1400s on the main floor. A second lab area can be found in the Library.

Cigarettes, alcohol, and illegal substances: Cigarettes and Personal Inhalant Devices (aka vaping) are prohibited on the college campus. The one spot smokers/vapers are allowed to be is at the main TriMet bus stop in the front of the school. Alcohol also is banned on MHCC grounds. A minor-in-possession citation can lose someone their student loans or scholarship. Any drugs, including marijuana, are prohibited.

Advocate Staff