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The Glendale tar
Glendale’s Community Weekly Since 1978
The Glendale Star is a circulation weekly published every Thursday.
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The Glendale Star is distributed by AZ Integrated Media, a circulation service company owned by Times Media Group. The public is permitted one copy per reader. For further information regarding the circulation of this publication or others in the Times Media Group family of publications, please contact AZ Integrated Media at circ@azintegratedmedia.com or 480-898-5641. For circulation services please contact Aaron Kolodny at aaron@azintegratedmedia.com. COLLEGE FROM PAGE 1 home,” Dr. Rey Rivera, Estrella Mountain Community College president, said in a prepared statement.
“Culturally, I fi nd community colleges, and Maricopa community colleges in particular, much richer and more diverse,” said David J. Ortiz-Leon, a Phoenix College alumnus who now attends Arizona State University’s Barrett honors school. “I think having schools offer four-year programs allows for students to continue to be immersed in education that is built by and for the local community. There is nothing more authentic than that.”
Sen. Paul Boyer (R-Glendale), who sponsored this bill, said the new law will help rural, underserved parts of the state with higher education. In his research, he reached out to community colleges in rural areas and developed a vision for what higher education they could offer.
“What I envision moving forward is having a community college close by with an in-demand four-year degree program. I envision there might be an eastern Arizona or a Coconino college, one of the rural (areas) that have a signifi cant demand where they wouldn’t have to move to Phoenix, Tucson or Flagstaff and they can earn a four-year (degree),” Boyer said.
Rivera fi rmly believes that SB 1453 presents another opportunity to address equity gaps in attainment with students from diverse backgrounds.
“Today, only 21% of Black and 15% of Latinx adults hold a bachelor’s degree compared to 34% of white and 54% of Asian adults,” he said. “The vitality of our economic future depends on closing attainment gaps and providing the workforce employers need.”
With the programs that are being offered, there is hope for a better workforce with the knowledge that students will gain in these four-year programs.
“I think everyone wants a higher education and society wants a skilled workforce. This is helping to achieve just that,” Hunter said.
Boyer, who has experience in education and who is a product of the community college system, having attended Pima and Paradise Valley community colleges, has a unique point of view that he shares with his students, whom he has been teaching for years.
“I understand that college isn’t for everybody, but I encourage my students to at least consider going to a community college,” Boyer said.
As a student, Boyer had to pay for school by working full time. This is not uncommon among students who attend college and a reason why being able to obtain a four-year degree at a community college is much more valuable.
“Even though I am less than half a mile from the school, my work schedule does not allow for me to be a traditional in class student. I take classes when and where I can make them fi t. For me, that’s nights and even weekends,” Hunter said. Boyer said one possible way this bill would help is by offering fi re science degrees in rural areas where they are most needed. “None of the public universities offer the four-year fi re science service degree — Northern Arizona University, University of Arizona and Arizona State University, none of them offer that — but there is a demand for this,” Boyer said.
Another example of an in-demand degree that will be offered is a respiratory therapy four-year degree at Gateway Community College.
Since the passing of the bill, the Maricopa Community College District has been nothing but persistent in making sure this is a success and the programs envisioned are considered.
“We are in the process of developing the programs and in the process of determining what the community needs
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NEWS
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The four-year degrees being offered at community colleges will be more affordable than the alternative of going to a four-year university. However, the degrees will be limited due to some concessions that were made while debating the bill in the Senate.
Community colleges can only offer 5% of the current degrees offered as four-year degrees for the first five years. After the first five years, community colleges can offer 10% of the current degrees offered as four-year degrees, according to SB 1453 legislative bill.
Even though there had to be some concessions to pass the bill in the Senate, the degrees being more affordable is still attractive to students across the state.
“Community colleges offering fouryear degrees makes education more affordable for individuals who like myself have children and a home to maintain,” said Cordero Holmes, a Rio Salado Community College student who will graduate in the spring with two associate’s degrees. “The terror of having to pay for school is lessened because I can now use the credentials attained to better my job placement while continuing my education at a lesser cost.”
In fall 2023, community colleges can start enrolling students into the fouryear programs.
“We have some incredible people on that team doing the hard work to develop these degrees and curriculum and these policy changes, and we are excited,” Hasson said.
“I think this is a huge step forward for the district, and students as well. Even if this makes it easier for one student, that is one student who achieved a higher education made possible by these changes,” Hunter said.
Boyer said now that the Legislature has acted, it will be up to the community colleges to deliver a quality education to students who need it most.
Heart Beat: How to Spot a Clot
By: DR. RAHUL MALHOTRA, MD, FACC, FSCAI PAID ADVERTISEMENT
A thrombosis is a blood clot that blocks the normal flow of blood through an artery or vein. Thromboses can occur anywhere in the body including the upper limbs (arms), though this is typically less frequent than occurrences in the lower extremities. When they occur in a deep vein, such as the veins of the lower leg, they are known as deep vein thromboses (or, DVT).
Risks of a DVT. DVTs cause death of the surrounding tissue, swelling and pain. They can be particularly dangerous when part of the clot breaks off and travels to the lung (causing a pulmonary embolism or, clot in the lung) or to the brain (causing a stroke). The resulting damage is always significant and may lead to sudden death. Who is Impacted. According to the National Blood Clot Alliance, 274 people die every day from the consequences of a blood clot. Neither age nor gender offer protection: you can develop a clot just as easily at 25 years of age as at 85 years of age. Most are the result of a traumatic injury, a surgical complication or due to taking hormone replacement therapy. Smoking and some birth control medications also present an increased risk of blood clots.
What to Watch For. Symptoms of a DVT in the leg include swelling and cramping pain or soreness in the calf muscles. The skin over the area can become reddened or warm to the touch because of the underlying inflammation. DVTs can also occur without warning and without noticeable symptoms.
The warning signs and symptoms of a pulmonary embolism (or clot to the lung) include:
•Shortness of breath that is sudden and unaccountable •Chest pain or discomfort that visibly worsens when you inhale deeply or when you cough • Feeling lightheaded and/or dizzy, or fainting • Fast heartbeat or rapid pulse • Coughing up blood
If you have any of the symptoms noted above, seek medical attention immediately.
Early Detection. By maintaining your heart health through healthy habits, proactively managing your risk for heart disease, and following your prescribed heart care plan, you will be well on your way on your heart health journey. While blood clots, DVTs and other vessel blockages pose serious dangers, regular cardiovascular screenings can help to identify DVTs and other blood clots at an early stage, allowing for timely, and often minimally invasive, intervention to avoid potentially serious outcomes. If it's been a while since you had a heart check-up, I encourage you to make an appointment today.
Dr. Rahul Malhotra, MD, FACC, FSCAI is the Medical Director at Arizona Heart & Vascular Clinic.
CHINA BEFORE COMMUNISM
“It’s like being in heaven!”
—Paul Behrends, consultant
—Rita Cosby, Emmy Award-winning journalist
—John Anthony, retired judge
—Christine Walevska, master cellist Throughout history artists in almost every culture looked to the divine for inspiration. Art was meant to uplift, bringing joy to those who created and experienced it. Today, Shen Yun Performing Arts pays homage to this tradition, weaving the wisdom and virtues of Chinese civilization with ancient legends and modern heroic tales on stage. SHEN YUN brings to its audiences a whole new experience, revealing a China untainted by communist rule. Be prepared to traverse time and space and be mesmerized by the action, humor, and beauty of five millennia. It’s an experience that will uplift your spirit and touch your heart.
