September 20 – October 3, 2014 www.SanTanSun.com
Chamber hosts 2014 Education Forum
Salvation Army Food Bank asks for donations
Representatives from state and county institutions share views
BY TRACY HOUSE
BY TRACY HOUSE
At an event that took 10 months to organize, the Chandler Chamber of Commerce brought together a panel of experts from the three state universities and the community college district for a morning of discussion focusing on the importance of a higher education and the advancements in the system. Sharing a stage for the Sept. 4 panel discussion at the Crowne Plaza Resort San Marcos were Dr. Michael M. Crow, ASU president; Dr. Rita Hartung Cheng, NAU president; Dr. Ann Weaver Hart, UA president; and Dr. Rufus Glasper, Maricopa County Community College District chancellor. Moderated by Joanna Allhands from The Arizona Republic, panelists were asked if a college degree is necessary for future jobs. For Crow, the answer was yes, saying, “For 80 percent of the jobs that will pay a living wage, a high school diploma is necessary. Some kind of post-secondary certificate from the community college, a technical school, some other kind of special training, or a university is necessary.” Hart said there’s a continual conversation about if educational institutions are preparing the future
2014 EDUCATION FORUM: Panelists at the Chandler Chamber of Commerce 2014 Education Forum included, from right, Dr. Michael Crow, Dr. Rita Hartung Cheng, Dr. Ann Weaver Hart and Dr. Rufus Glasper. STSN photo by Tracy House
workforce. “We always have those conversations, ‘Are we preparing students for the workforce of today?’ And we’re always sharpening our programs for that purpose.” From a community college perspective, Gasper said the district focuses on defining certificates and degrees. His organization awarded more than 12,500 certificates and about 13,000 degrees last year. Allhands next asked how each institution is using higher education SEE EDUCATION
FORUM PAGE 6
Basha student aces SAT
SEE SAT PAGE 5
BY ALISON STANTON
PICTURE PERFECT: Samantha Bouchal of Basha High School scored a perfect score of 2400 on her SAT test. She has her sights set on studies and a career in the medical field. Submitted photo FOR A COOLER ARIZONA
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EMPTY SHELVES: Donations are needed to fill the shelves at the Chandler Salvation Army to help with food boxes for community members. STSN photo by Tracy House
the food bank needs canned meat and vegetables, fruits, soups and any nonperishable items, such as macaroni and spaghetti. The food cannot be expired. Deidrick estimates that from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Friday the food bank is providing 20 to 22 households or families with food boxes. “If we’re running low, we’re telling people, ‘Please come back tomorrow. We’ve hit our limit for the day. We don’t have enough food to pack a fair amount of food for you.’ If we didn’t do it that way SEE SALVATION ARMY PAGE 4
Hispanic Heritage Month offers festive music and more
BY LYNETTE CARRINGTON
When Basha High School senior Samantha Bouchal checked her SAT scores online in the wee morning hours, she kept refreshing her computer screen thinking that there was a mistake. But make no mistake about it; Bouchal earned a perfect score of 2400 on her SAT exam. Bouchal was stunned when she saw her perfect score. “I stayed up waiting to get my results because I was kind of anxious, and it was my first time taking the test,” Bouchal states. “The results finally came in, and I kept refreshing the page and I thought, ‘Glitch, glitch, glitch. There’s no way that can happen.’”
Summer assistance at the Salvation Army Food Bank has depleted the shelves of food, and the community’s help is being sought to restock the pantry. “The food pantry covers low-income families and emergencies for a food box,” explains the Salvation Army’s Maj. Robert Deidrick. “But it’s more than just a food box. It’s food for the family; basic food for three to five days, if we have it all. We keep running out.” Deidrick explains that, because the pantry keeps running out of food, the Salvation Army has been using donations to purchase food. “We’re doing it more than ever.” He says that 80 to 90 percent of the food received comes from a food bank in Mesa. “We’re very reliant on them,” Deidrick says. “Every Wednesday, the food truck comes...There’s a lot of things done behind the scenes that people don’t know as far as food and sorting.” At this point, Deidrick says, “What we need is food. Canned food (and) packaged food to help families. Starting now, we’re setting a limit on how many households we can help a day because we keep running out. It’s either that or we just end up cutting and giving less and less food. We don’t want to do that, so we’re trying to make the best choices overall. We help with needed food.” To stock the shelves, Deidrick says
Fall Tune-Up
Chandler will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in October with a variety of events, all of which honor the contributions of the City’s Hispanic founders and residents. “With a significant Hispanic population in our City, events like this help to showcase the Hispanic culture, as well as educate people on the traditions, music, food and art,” says Niki Tapia, Chandler’s community resource coordinator of neighborhood resources. The Human Relations Commission and City of Chandler are planning the celebrations. “The Diversity Office and Human
Relations Commission’s mission statement is ‘To promote mutual respect and inclusion in Chandler,’ but more so, we want to help garner an appreciation for the various cultures in our community as well,” she says. Vanessa Ramirez, director of Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ and president of C.A.L.L.E. de Arizona, says that Hispanic Heritage Month began as a way to showcase the richness and beauty of the ethnicity’s culture. “We get such a diverse audience year after year, and some have been coming every year,” she says. The first event is “Garibaldi Night” from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3. SEE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH PAGE 4
F E AT U R E STO R I E S City of Chandler Insider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .COMMUNITY . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 Salem provides quality and caring dental care. . . . . . . . . . . . .BUSINESS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17 AZ BabyComfort soothes colicky babies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .YOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 27 Dentist collecting hats for pediatric cancer patients . . . . . . .NEIGHBORS . . . . . . . . . . . Page 41 Vision Gallery presents The Little Black Dress. . . . . . . . . . . . . .ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 51
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