The Blaze - February 2013 by Lafromboise Communications, Inc.

The

A Publication of The Chronicle for Centralia College Since 2012 • www.centraliablaze.com Site 2 Total Cost: $1,300,000 Stalls at 350 sq. ft.: 143 Cost/350 sq. ft. Stall: $9,600 Stalls at 400 sq. ft.: 125 Cost/400 sq. ft. Stall: $11,000

Site 1A/6 Total Cost: $1,900,000* Stalls at 350 sq. ft.: 379 Cost/350 sq. ft. Stall: $10,000 Stalls at 400 sq. ft.: 332 Cost/400 sq. ft. Stall: $11,500

Site 3

Site 1A

CONNECTION

Total Cost: $1,700,000 Stalls at 350 sq. ft.: 175 Cost/350 sq. ft. Stall: $10,200 Stalls at 400 sq. ft.: 153 Cost/400 sq. ft. Stall: $11,600

*all total costs include acquisition, site prep and development.

Site 1

Site 1A

Total Cost: $800,000 Stalls at 350 sq. ft.: 104 Cost/350 sq. ft. Stall: $9,100 Stalls at 400 sq. ft.: 91 Cost/400 sq. ft. Stall: $10,400 Site 6

Future Home of Trans Alta Commons

Site 4

Site 5

Total Cost: $1,400,000 Stalls at 350 sq. ft.: 112 Cost/350 sq. ft. Stall: $13,000 Stalls at 400 sq. ft.: 98 Cost/400 sq. ft. Stall: $15,000

Total Cost: $1,600,000 Stalls at 350 sq. ft.: 241 Cost/350 sq. ft. Stall: $6,800 Stalls at 400 sq. ft.: 211 Cost/400 sq. ft. Stall: $7,700

Graphic By Dakota Rakestraw/ For The Blaze

An aerial photo of Centralia College’s campus shows the areas in which the proposed Master Plan calls for additional parking to be added, in an attempt to alleviate the college campus’ current parking issues.

The Master Plan: By Hallie Simons For The Blaze

Parking Garage: At a meeting on Jan. 30 with students on parking issues, Ward was asked about the potential of a parking garage. It is an idea that has already been looked at by the Master Plan committee, and is a commonly heard suggestion from the community. According to Ward, the structural material and building costs are far more than the costs of building multiple single-level parking lots, thus ruling out the idea. “Until real estate around here is so expensive that it’s cheaper to build up, I’m going to build out,” Ward said.

Acquiring the land has been a challenge, due to appraisals, paperwork, budgets, and a few reluctant homeowners, but not impossible, according to Ward. Centralia College technically has the right to exercise eminent domain over unwilling property sellers, but they

Stormwater Solutions: As a general rule, parking lots have drainage issues, especially when flood season rolls around. One of the design and cost challenges with a parking lot is a drain system that allows for storm water to be removed in an efficient manner. “Every time I put a parking lot in, I have to deal with stormwater issues,” said Ward. This is just one more aspect to the parking project that will take time to solve.

Esplanade Expansion: Currently, Centralia College owns Washington Avenue, one of the main and busiest streets through campus. The road becomes a traffic problem at peak times between classes and often becomes a hindrance to drivers trying to get out onto Main Street through the only stop light. However, the college plans to shut down the street and expand the Aadland Esplanade so that students can be safe and so that the campus can be more controlled. “We plan on having a pedestrian core,” said Ward. “There will be no parking on the streets between buildings, like we currently have with the esplanade.”

Dysfunction Junction: The stoplight at Washington Avenue and Main Street is currently the only easy-access point that students have to the main roads. The logical point of access is at the intersection of Yew and Main, since the street is wider, there are no stop signs hindering travel north or south, and it is outside the center of campus, making it safer for students to get to the rest of campus. There’s just one problem: turning left onto Main Street from Yew is all but impossible during the day, especially at peak travel hours for students. Centralia College is working with the city of Centralia to coordinate traffic through the area, and has agreed to hold off on closing Washington Avenue until the city puts in a stoplight at Yew and Main, which is sup-

posed to be within the next few years. “They’ve made it a priority to try and control traffic over there. In fact, I think it’s their number one priority,” said Ward. “If you look at the width of Washington Avenue compared to Yew, it makes sense that the traffic should be there.”

Future Growth: “Since our college is still continuing to grow,” asked J.R. Siperly of ASCC, “will it be enough parking for the future, especially when it comes to the new building?” Ward expressed hope and faith that the 200 spaces to be added will accommodate the growth of the campus with the Master Plan and with the programs Centralia College hopes to expand. “The problem that we’re going to have coming up soon is the next building,” said Ward. “What we’re working on now is how to solve the parking problems that presents. We’ve been trying to work with the city to make sure we’re ahead of the parking problem. We’ve been talking to them and our neighbors for the last four years.”

MORE ONLINE

Learn more about what the college wants to do about China Creek, Carpooling and Staff Spots.

centraliablaze.com

laze

A College Neighborhood:

have refrained in all cases but one. It is important to the college to maintain friendly relationships with the local community, Ward said, and forcing people out of their homes isn’t a good way to do so. “The emotional value people have on their houses is important to us,” said Ward. “We want people to want to live next to the college, and the way to do that is by being a good neighbor. The whole idea is to be a good neighbor, and we don’t want to use eminent domain because it destroys that.” And it’s not as though every house in the area absolutely has to be purchased. “We don’t want to convert everything in the area into a parking lot,” said Ward. “We want to keep the nicer houses and take the lower ones out.” The only hinderance this presents is that in order to build a lot, there needs to be a large enough area to make the lot work well, which includes the spaces themselves and lanes for travel in between.

Parking Presents Problems

from the B

Four thousand students on campus, plus 400 staff and faculty, equals 672 current parking spots, 100 of which will be lost with the addition of the new building in two years? That doesn’t make much sense. Luckily for Centralia College drivers, the college’s Master Plan calls for an additional 200 parking spaces to be added very soon. One hundred spaces are city-mandated, and the other 100 are to accommodate for the spaces lost with the addition of the TransAlta Student Commons (as reported in the January edition of The Blaze). “I don’t work here because I love parking, I work here because I love students. When we put that in it was temporary parking,” Steve Ward, vice president of finance and administration, said about the main parking lot. “It is absolutely critical that we put in this building for us to expand, and with that comes adding additional parking.” The 200 spaces needed will take up the area equivalent of an entire city block, though the 200 spaces will be spread out to the 40-acre campus area. When all the planned additions have been made, the Centralia College campus will be 50 to 60 acres. Thus, smaller lots will go in all around campus, so that students don’t have to park on the other side of campus from a building they need to be in. “What I’m really trying to do is take parking out of the center of campus and distribute it around the outside of cam-

pus,” said Ward. Ward explained that a main reason for this was to create a “university environment” where the center of campus is all about learning and collaboration, not parking, so that the college can operate as its own small community. “We want to conduct ourselves as our own world,” said Ward. “Whatever happens is between students, faculty and staff.”

CAMPUS

Blaze

20 ary u r b e F 13

Check us out with your phone!

Check out flickr.com /centralia blaze

Centralia College Student News on the Web

Read More Online @

centraliablaze.com

Blaze 2 • The Blaze, Centralia, Wash., February 2013

BEAT on the STREET “Are you satisfied with the parking situation on campus? How could it be improved?”

“Well, I don’t drive to school. I hear a lot of complaints about parking though. People have to get to school really early to get a spot. I think another lot would help.”

-Claire Southern, 23, Chehalis, A.A.

Your Look at Centralia College Life

CAMPUS NEWS

Centralia College Opens New Veterans Center campus life. Several college staff and faculty went through specialized training to assist veterans, some of whom suffer from traumatic brain injuries, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other challenges associated with military service. As a result of the MOU, Centralia College has created a new Veteran’s Center, located in room 110 in Washington Hall. The center will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Veteran’s Center was placed in Washington Hall because of its unique location. “We want veterans to have a prominent place on campus, to feel included, but they need privacy due to some of the challenges that they face,” said Ward. “They often feel marginalized in society, and we don’t want that at the college.” The center is staffed by Vet-Corps navigator Rodney Saarela. He is specifically trained to assist veterans. Saarela is himself a retired, disabled marine, having served in Iraq. “I know what they’ve been through ‘cause I’ve been through it myself,” said Saarela. “Vets feel more comfortable around other vets. We need the camaraderie we had in the military.” Saarela describes the new center as a safe zone for veterans. “I have contacts in Veterans Affairs and can help vets access their benefits, or they can just hangout and have a cup of coffee and a snack,” said Saarela. Saarela volunteers his

By Edward Riley For The Blaze

As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan come to a close, the military is in the process of downsizing. As these soldiers transition to civilian life, many are choosing to attend college with the help of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Presently, Centralia College has 184 of these veterans attending classes. They come from a variety of different branches throughout the military. With the discipline taught in the military, veterans are often high-achieving students. “We expect the number of veterans to double and even triple on campus over the next few years,” said Steve Ward, the college’s vice president of finance and administration. For several years, the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs has worked with a multitude of agencies throughout the different branches of the military: the governor’s office, state agencies, and agencies of higher education. They have created Partners for Veteran Supportive Campuses. After a stringent certification process, Centralia College recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Partners for Veteran Supportive Campuses. The purpose of the MOU is to create college campuses that support veterans as they transition from the military to civilian life. This support can come in many forms, anything from accessing veteran medical benefits to navigating

time to run the center and has volunteered to help veterans at Centralia College for nearly four years. He spearheaded the Boots to Books statue recently dedicated on the Centralia College campus to commemorate veteran students. In fact, the statue is a bronze of Saarela’s own military boots and college books. The center is inviting and comfortable. It has desks, couches, a microwave and a

BASM Program Coordinates With eCreamery to Provide

For The Blaze

- Caleb Lindley, 19, Mossyrock, A.A.

“I get here at 7:30 in the morning: what parking situation?” - Darrell Delph, 42, Grand Mound, E.R.A.

“I don’t drive but I hear it’s not very good.” - Erica Pullard, 16, Yelm, A.A.

The Centralia College campus is constantly expanding its borders past the physical campus, from Centralia College East in Morton to the numerous exchange students from all over the world that come to study here. This year though, Centralia College is doing something it’s never done before. The college is now offering a four-year degree called the Bachelor of Applied Science in Management (BASM). This might just seem like a less expensive version of a business management degree, which it is, but it also provides students with marketing, communication, management and human resourcing experience. Not only will students receive a bachelor’s degree at a lower price, all the benefits of being a Centralia College student are incorporated, too. This degree is also more interactive than degrees from other larger four-year universities. Fall quarter provided an immersive marketing experience they never would have found anywhere but Centralia College when BASM students worked closely with a Midwest company called eCreamery. eCreamery is an ice cream and gelato shop in Omaha, NE. that sells 90 percent of their products online. Most of these sales are delivered to homes as gifts from friends and family. The company also creates custom and personalized flavors of both ice cream and gelato. This past September, eCreamery was featured on an ABC reality show, Shark Tank.

In this show, entrepreneurs propose plans to expand the business they’ve created to a board of self-made billionaire investors. These potential investors are called Sharks. The Sharks decided not to invest money in eCreamery. However, the publicity gained by the company helped ice cream and gelato sales soar. Before Shark Tank, eCreamery made $2 million in sales within five years. After making an appearance on Shark Tank, sales were $500,000 in just the three months from last September to December. Within two days of the Shark Tank episode, new visitors on eCreamery’s website increased by 9,000. Marketing efforts of the BASM students also helped boost sales. The BASM students worked diligently to try to help create a better business for eCreamery. One of the most significant of the students’ tasks was to create a business plan for this company. “We had to devise a plan to propose to them on how to market their company to get more sales,” said Nichole Lantau, a student in the BASM program. But why eCreamery? The alternative marketing project for these students was to create a business plan for a simulated company. Lantau felt that working with a real company was one of the most relevant aspects of this project. Not only did eCreamery benefit from this experience, the students in the BASM program also reaped long-term benefits from this marketing project.

refrigerator. It will soon have computers so that veteran students can work on their homework or surf the Internet.

ion

uct r t s n

Elliott Townsend / For The Blaze

Four-Year Degree Program

By Emmalee Baker

S U P AM

Centralia College President, James Walton addresses supporters of the Veterans Center during a meeting about the center on Tuesday, Jan. 8.

Hands On Experience “I’m pretty satisfied. I think it’s silly we can’t back in. I would make a reserved spot for moi.”

By Ely Tilley

‘

CAMPUS VOICES

Blaze 3 • The Blaze, Centralia, Wash., February 2013 Your Voice, Your Views

There Are No Re-do s at 75 By Jeff McQuarrie Guest Columnist, Centralia College Professor

My Nightmare:

I’m a 75 year-old man, recently retired after a highly successful career as a marketing director. I have money, hobbies, health, and a sweet wife. Why then, do I awake so full of anxiety every morning? This is a nightmare…my nightmare. Worse yet, I’m 75 years old! There are no re-do’s at 75. Jeff McQuarrie

You’re in This Story:

Now, I have a confession to make. I’m not really 75. Except for the sweet wife, none of this ever happened to me. But it was bound to happen, and that’s where you come in. Before your role in this story can make sense, you need to know where I’ve been.

Mullets, Swatches, and Yuppies:

Flash back to 1989 – mullets, swatches, and yuppies. I

had recently finished up at WSU and was hired as the Assistant to the Marketing Director of a fledgling fishing resort in Alaska. Two months into the job, my boss was caught embezzling. With the fishing season just a month away, I was thrust into his role at age 25.

Wild Dreams:

A few years later, my team and I had the resort sold out, entertaining Fortune 500’s like General Electric, Ford Motor Company and Nissan. We were successful beyond my wildest dreams, and I was being rewarded handsomely. By my tenth year, I had ‘President’ added to my title. Clients were making reservations two years in advance, and by all intents and purposes I had it made. All I had to do was sit back and take money from wealthy people and corporate giants. Sounds great, right? But you’ve seen the stats proving that money is not a primary motivating factor in the workplace – I was a walking statistic, full of unrest.

The Screaming Monster:

Afraid to leave the secu-

rity of my high paying job, and with a baby boy counting on me, I stayed with the resort. But the discontent that started as a little nag was a screaming monster by my 13th year. Almost every night I had a nightmare in which I was a 75 yearold retiree who hated himself because he had stuck with the high-paying resort job instead of mustering up the courage to pursue his calling (even though I had no idea what that calling might be.) In the dream, at age 75, it was too late to fix things – There are no re-do’s at 75. This dream never came to fruition. It took a while, but the screaming monster finally forced me to leave the security of my cushy resort job. I did some filmmaking while trying to find my calling, which led to a teaching position. I taught at five different campuses during this wandering, none of which could hold a candle to Centralia College. There were many times when I beat myself up for leaving the security of my job with the fishing resort. How could I do this to my wife and son? This is where you come in. If not for you, I might have ended up being that sad 75-yearold in the dream.

Who are you, and what are you doing in my story? Who are ‘you’ anyway? You’re the dean who believes in people even when they have yet to prove themselves. You’re the teenage student with problems at home who comes to my office because you trust me and realize that I was once you. You’re the military veteran who always thanks me, when I should be thanking you. You’re the single mom with cancer who never complains and sets the bar high for our younger students. You’re the 30-to-50-something student who has made some big mistakes, but is doing it right this time, and lifting us with your humility. You’re the timid speech student who says you can’t do it, but trusts me when I say you can. You’re the longtime, tenured professor who goes out of your way to make the new, parttime instructor feel welcomed. You’re the administrator that takes huge risks that could make you look bad, but you do it so your students and faculty will have a better way of life. You’re the high-achieving

Check us out with your phone...

former student who doesn’t need to look back, yet keeps returning to my class to help others. Some of you see this list and know I’m talking about you. Regrettably, I left many of you out for lack of space, but you’re a humble bunch, and I know you’ll forgive me.

A Special Place:

I’ve heard a few people say, “I can’t wait to get out of Lewis County,” but I’ve never heard “I can’t wait to get out of Centralia College.” I hope I’m still here at age 75, but I’m grateful for our school either way. I hope you are too. I’ll leave you with a relevant quote from medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides: “The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision.” Thank you for the role you play in this story. I encourage all of us to be true to our calling, even when it seems like we’re risking too much. There are no re-do’s at 75. *** Jeff McQuarrie teaches in the Centralia College Bachelor of Applied Science in Management program and numerous communications courses at the two-year level.

Got Skills? The Blaze is always accepting submissions from Centralia College students for the opinion page, photos of events, or even comics. Think you’ve got what it takes to write for The Blaze? Email Editorin-Chief Hallie Simons at editor@centraliablaze. com, or call The Blaze World Headquarters at (360) 807-8250.

B THE BLAZE STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Hallie Simons Web/Print Design: Dakota Rakestraw Photographer: Elliott Townsend Sports: Janice Knutz Comic Artist: Ely Tilley Reporters: Edward Riley Emmalee Baker Contact us at: (360) 807-8250 editor@ centraliablaze.com Visit us at... centraliablaze.com

Life Lessons From Fellow Students By Edward Riley Blaze Staff

As a student attending Centralia College over the last two years, I have been privileged to meet many people from different walks of life. They come from a wide variety of life experiences, and they come from all age groups. There are even a few I now consider to be lifelong friends. Recently, I was sad to learn that two students I know will no longer be attending Centralia College. And though we weren’t close, I enjoyed socializing with them in the cafeteria. Both are bright and have the potential to go far in life. I will miss seeing them on campus, and I wish them well. One student felt that he knew more than his instructors, and that they had nothing to teach him. He often complained that there was no point in going to class and that certain classes were simply a waste of his time. His group of friends often warned him that he needed to go to class and to have a more positive attitude. He would

simply brush them off. “I already know the material,” he said. “I’ll just do the work on my own time.” He never did, and because of that, he lost his funding. The other student withdrew from college with less than two quarters to finish his degree. He somehow felt special and couldn’t see the benefit of attending college. Much like the other student, he often complained about his classes and instructors. His fellow students and friends tried to help and encourage him, and though they never gave up on him, they did however grow tired of his constant complaining. These students are rare. They look for problems instead of solutions. If you are going to attend college, give it your all. You will get much more from the experience. The vast majority of students have positive attitudes. They buckle down and ask for help from their fellow students and instructors when they’re confronted with adversity.

They look for solutions to their challenges. A student I have recently come to know and respect is Michelle Kearns. She comes from a difficult background. She is now thriving in college, and participates in several clubs on campus. Kearns serves as president of Artists Anonymous and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and TRiO. Last quarter she struggled in a difficult chemistry class. Though she had doubts about her abilities, she took steps to get the extra help she needed. Her friends rallied around her. She made arrangements for extra tutoring, and she checked in regularly with her instructor to monitor her progress. She did well and passed her class. Another fellow student, and retired veteran, Bob Lund helped him study and prepare for the tests. And though Bob has the responsibility of a family, he made extra time to help. It was with this help that this student was able to do well on his final, resulting in a good grade from that class.

Running Start Proves a Welcome Respite From High School By Clay Easley Guest Columnist

My name is Clay Easley, I’m a junior at WF West High School, and I’m taking college classes at Centralia College. Some of you readers are probably thinking to yourself, “What is a high school student doing taking college classes?” It fits well within my lifestyle, and it supports my aspiring goals to higher education. I’ve had a great time as a Running Start student during my time at Centralia College. There are many aspects that I enjoy about the college environment vs. the high school environment. I find that the staff at the college has a more focused knowledge on the subject material, and a level of professionalism that can’t really be matched at the high school level. One of the biggest advantages that I find in the college atmosphere is the proper allocation of class learning time. At the high school level, instructors are constantly battling the social issues of the day; whether it’s an emotional

day for a boyfriend and girlfriend, an unaccountable student, or a behavioral nuisance, it all ends up distracting from the learning environment and process. At the college, this isn’t a problem; instructors just won’t tolerate such behavior. College instructors treat you like an adult, which is something that I respect and value. Due to this professionalism on both the side of the teacher and the majority of the students, every second of the course period is used, thus achieving the most for each party. Don’t get me wrong, Running Start does come with its fair share of tradeoffs. Students will sometimes have to forfeit going to that ball game after school in order to get some extra homework finished, or go to that late night lab. One might end up spending a little more on gas and books to get to the college vs. the high school. These are things that I’ve thought about, and I’m willing to sacrifice. So, depending on whom you are, and what you want out of life, Running Start could be a potential option for

you. I think it all just depends on what you value, and high school drama isn’t big on my list. All in all, I would personally recommend the program to my fellow adolescents. ...

Because of the time they spent together studying, and other campus activities, these two have now formed a friendship. I am that student, and to my friend Bob, I am grateful for the help. For me, attending college isn’t something that I have done on my own. It was with the support of my family, friends, fellow students, and the faculty and staff at the college. Without them, I’m not sure I could have succeeded. Whether it’s a professor pushing me to do better, a classmate studying with me, a friend telling me to hang in there, or my family putting up with me during finals, my attending college has been a group effort. You see, my success is not my own. It is the success of the many people that have helped me, in ways big and small. To them I will always be grateful, and to them, I say thank you. *** Edward Riley is a Blaze reporter and Centralia College student.

GET IN THE LOOP Follow us on Facebook, “Centralia Blaze”and on Twitter,“ @CentraliaBlaze.” Want to submit your letters to the editor? Contact us at “editor@centraliablaze.com,” or call The Blaze World Headquarters at (360) 807-8250

BEAT on the STREET “Do you have any classes that use Canvas? If so, what are your thoughts on it in comparison with Angel?”

“I don’t.” - Gavin Gullard, 17, Centralia, A.A.

“I have classes with Canvas, but I haven’t used it yet.” - Quinten Roberts, 16, Chehalis, E.R.A.

Clay Easley is a Running Start student from Chehalis, WA.

“No. I had a friend that used it and neither of us liked it.” - Stormy Epsen, 17, Toledo, A.A.

“No. We’re lucky, we get to do it old school.” - Ashley K. Smith, 26, Chehalis, Medical Assistant