MEET YOUR NEW ASMHCC PRESIDENT & VP

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 include giving Mt. Hood students and the community information and spreading the word about things happening on campus.

The pair would like to continue, and build on, traditions such as the Trunk or Treat in the Fall Term, and the Something Wonderful program during the holiday season to help individuals and families in need, and the event hosted just last week – the Barney Bash student/community celebration.

A personal goal for Estrada is to collaborate with the Adult Basic Skills and the Transitions/Transiciones programs, and co-host seminars with them to help the community and new students with the intake process for ESL and GED classes.

“This is personal, because I am a member of the Latino community,” he said.

One of Phoun’s main personal goals is to collaborate with the different college departments, whether it be Athletics or Financial Aid, and partner to put on events for students, she said. These events would be focused on students to help them get to know what college is like and to share the different resources the college has to offer.

Phoun said she has wanted to run for student office since she was in high school, to be a leader for students and the community. Being a voice for students on the current ASMHCC team and

seeing how much she has grown just gives her more motivation to be the person the student body needs to get things done, she said.

“Being a leader and giving a voice to other students is what I thrive on,” she said.

Estrada’s reason to run for president is to build student government from a pandemic-era slump.

“There is a need for leadership because in Fall Term the group (ASMHCC) was really small and there was no president or vice president, so I stepped in as Community Affairs and Outreach Representative,” he said.

Later inducted as vice president for the current academic year, he thought it would be good to continue in leadership. He has been taking classes to help better his leadership skills and his understanding of the student body, he said.

Estrada and Phoun said a priority for improvement on campus is better and more accessible food choices and reducing food insecurities. They have been working to get a contracted vendor to provide better food options on campus and to provide more information on different food pantries available in the community for students, friends, or family.

The two also are working with Mt. Hood’s Multicultural Diversity and Resource Center to restore the dormant MHCC community garden into a place to grow good, organic produce available to students. In two hours of recent work, the garden (near Mt. Hood’s Fisheries Department building) went from overgrown and full of weeds to a promising and more spacious area.

Both Phoun and Estrada have high hopes for energizing the ASMHCC next school year.

“I envision that Student Life is going to open up more and we are going to have lots of students on campus who are ready to participate in whatever events we host or co-host with other departments,” said Estrada.

Phoun is most excited to be in a new position and to share her ideas, but most importantly other people’s ideas, as well, she said.

With the strong support of MHCC administrator Rozina Lethe, the newly elected duo hope to attract more students who also wish to serve Mt. Hood students and the college community. Even those without any prior experience are encouraged to reach out – either directly to Estrada or Phoun, or at the Student Life office in the Student Union, or by visiting mhcc.edu/asg/.