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CCCLARION.COM VOL LXXIII • ISSUE 6 NOVEMBER 13, 2019
Board reviews plan to reshape campus layout BY JAMES DUFFY V STAFF REPORTER
JDUFFY@CCCLARION.COM
Ashley Economou, Staff Reporter Nick Paulson laughs at joke from student while playing a board game after class with students on Oct. 23 in his classroom in the LB building.
He has the keys: BY ASHLEY ECONOMOU STAFF REPORTER
AECONOMOU@CCCLARION.COM
When Nick Paulson was 8 years old, he decided he wanted to buy his first house and learn to play Chopin’s “Etude Op. 25 No. 12” on the piano by age 21. A passion for real estate and entrepreneurship has always been embedded into Paulson. He grew up around real estate and fell in love with it at an early age. Paulson said he saved money from every birthday and Christmas to buy his first house. By the time Paulson was 18 years
old, he could play Chopin’s “Etude Op. 25 No. 12” on the piano perfectly, and by the time he was 19 years old, he bought his first house. Paulson has taught real estate at Citrus for the past four years. He teaches both Real Estate Principles and Real Estate Practice, which are both hybrid courses. Paulson also teaches online as part of a 4x4 class plan, where students can take four classes that are four weeks each in one semester, which allows students to get their real estate certificate in as little as one semester. Paulson owns 11 pieces of
Entrepreneur and professor knows all the keys from real estate to playing the piano
property that the vice president for a property management company in Texas is interested in investing. “Unfortunately, most of education, when it comes to success, talks about your job,” Paulson said. “That’s good because you need to have a job, without a doubt, but most wealth creation comes from investing.” Paulson said he always wanted to teach but never actually wanted to go to college. Paulson said he always felt dissatisfied with teachers when he attended community college. He said he felt like teachers were not giving him the information he
felt he needed. “I wanted to leave school and be ready to go make money and they were teaching me theory, but I didn’t know how to apply it,” Paulson said. “I didn’t know how to actually go out and be successful...By the time you go through our whole (real estate) program here, you know more than the vast majority of working agents. You’re ready to go out and be a success. That’s our goal for our program.” Paulson said that the way that the real estate program is set up at the college is truly innovative. SEE PROFESSOR PAGE 7
Guns out for veterans 21-gun salute prompts remembrance for the people who have fought for freedom BY VICMAN THOME STAFF REPORTER
VTHOME@CCCLARION.COM
Old and young veterans mingled around while the smooth sounds of the Citrus College Blue Note Orchestra played in the background. The veterans laughed and recounted military stories that have been told time and time again as they bonded over one common thing: the pleasure of serving the United States. Students heard the sound of gunshots and displays of Americana on Nov. 7 at the Campus Center Mall during the 14th annual Saluting our Veterans event put together by the Veterans Center and the Associated Students of Citrus College, ASCC. The event commenced with Azusa Pacific University’s ROTC program presenting the colors. One of Blue Note’s singers sang the national anthem. The master of ceremonies, John Vaughan, Dean of Visual and Performing Arts, then walked up to the stage to introduce Superintendent President DR. Geraldine M. Perri.
Vicman Thome, Staff Reporter The Band of Brothers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12034 post shoots a 21 gun salute for the fallen student soldiers on Nov. 7 outside the Hayden Memorial Library at the Campus Center Mall.
Perri welcomed the crowd and spoke about the services Citrus College offers to veteran students. She ended her brief introduction by thanking the men and women who have served the nation. “Citrus College puts our veterans first,” Perri said. With a 21 gun salute, the Band of Brothers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12034, saluted the fallen student soldiers. The chaplain said a prayer and led a
moment of silence as the rifles were shot. Next, Martha McDonald, vice president of student services, recognized veteran honorees from the surrounding cities. Among the recognized were Citrus College honoree, Sal Hernandez, a specialist in radio mechanics who worked in the 17th infantry division in 1967. Donato Powell was one of the APU honorees. A major in the U.S. Marine Corps, Powell enlisted in
the Marines in 1988 and passed the “ironman” physical test. Powell also received a bachelor’s degree from U.C. Davis. He went on to enlist in the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion. This event has helped many of the veterans come together and bond over the grievances of going through war and even through the process of readjusting to civilian life, a process that for many takes several years.
Citrus College spent $121 million on construction since Measure G funded campus buildings in 2004. Five important buildings and renovations to several others were funded using the money. Since March, Citrus administrators met with consultants to discuss another round of construction. Administration and faculty received initial plans to further restructure the campus on Oct. 1 at the Board of Trustees meeting. Architectural firm Westberg + White presented two architectural plans with several variations at an evening session of the board meeting. Each plan would dramatically reshape the campus if approved. But board President Sue Keith said the board was far from a decision. “I like the branded signage,” Keith said. “It looks like us. ... One of the things I like is the STEM Center having all the disciplines together. A lot of the board is interested in that.” One plan would move the STEM program into buildings on the west side of campus. Pasadena design consulting group MIG worked with the architect to analyze the campus programs and facilities. MIG project manager Mark Sillings met with campus representatives to discuss campus redesign. “We talked about how education and CTE programs should drive the design of the new facilities,” Sillings said. “... As (Superintendent President) Dr. (Geraldine M.) Perri reiterated many times, we wanted it to be a data-driven process.” Sillings said his firm conducted a survey, focus group and committee meetings to develop a plan for a campus redesign. One proposal would pave over the Little Dalton Wash storm drain to form a road through campus. In some of the plans, the college driving range was eliminated to shift campus buildings southward. All of the designs planned fewer, larger buildings on campus. Campus Safety director Ben Macias said he looks forward to reviewing the plans. “Some of the things we would give input on would be things like trees - dark areas; blocked lighting or natural barriers,” Macias said. He will offer guidance on how campus design could prevent crime and unwanted visitors. “At K through 12, you’re going to have physical, hard barriers., he said. “We’re an open campus.” The Board of Trustees review plans further at their meeting on Nov. 19. Board staff will submit a recommendation on how to proceed with plans and how to finance them, including whether to request another property tax bond to fund construction. Keith said she wants student input in the process. “I don’t know all the comments,” Keith said. “It’s in process and I don’t want to pre-decide anything.”