Questions answered, questions that remain
awc students share about session with legislators
Editor’s note: This is the concluding piece to the series of articles covering the AWC Legislative Town Hall in depth.
An hour before Arizona Western College’s Legislative Town Hall on Tuesday, Sept.
19, Arizona Sen. Brian Fernandez (D, District 23) and Reps. Michele Peña
(R, District 23), Michael Carbone (R, District
25) and Tim Dunn (R, District 25) sat down for a special session with AWC students.
A considerable sum of the students in attendance were members of the college’s student government association (SGA) but all students attending collectively shared a deep interest and engagement in their communities’ affairs – so much so, that the session took a full hour instead of the planned 30 minutes. Afterward, the students also sat in for the town hall.
“I appreciated [the town hall],” student and SGA member Carlos Canchola said. “Most of it was the same beats as our student student session but I feel like going to the student session and then going into the town hall session made it so that I had I could process what they were saying better.
“I like how in the town hall, they elaborated more on the points versus the students session that was just main beats because they just wanted our questions and they wanted to know what we were curious about that. But no, I liked the town hall meeting. They went more in-depth into those topics.”
Canchola shared that he really enjoyed hearing about Sen. Fernandez’s work stepping up in the position that was left vacant by his mother, Charlene Fernandez, and how he secured $15 million in state funding for AWC.
“I was like, ‘Oh, he’s, he’s actually helping out the college, the community,” he continued. “And I really saw it as inspiring because sometimes, politicians kind of just go and do other big things, don’t really pay much attention to smaller communities. But no, he was telling us that because of that [secured funding] so many programs are now being opened here, which I think is really awesome. Now, we don’t have to – like us here and the community – don’t have to go so far to Phoenix, Tucson and all that. I think it’s awesome.”
Other attending students echoed Canchola’s appreciation.
“Brian [Fernandez] had mentioned that he had been able to grant Arizona Western $15 million and that’s why we’re creating these whole new buildings,” said Anayssa Magana, a student and
SGA member. “And thanks to him, because depending on what students want to do, whether it’s more certificate-based or whether it’s more degree-based, he wanted to offer that opportunity.
“That’s why we’re getting dental hygiene, cybersecurity, and [broadband programs]. I’m really glad about dental hygiene because I’m going for that. Literally as of next year – I think that’s really quick – as of next year, they should have it up and running.”
Since every school has different requirements, Magana isn’t sure when she’ll begin the program but she’s very excited since she was previously considering going to Northern Arizona University, Mohave Community College and Pima Community College for their programs.
During the town hall, AWC Vice President of Workforce and Healthcare Programs Reetika Dhawan stated that dental assistant and dental hygiene programs typically cost $1,500 per credit outside of Yuma but AWC will be able to offer $94 per credit.
Talk of new programs and buildings did raise one big question for student and SGA member Marisol Meza.
“I asked if they were gonna charge us more for tuition and they told me that no, it would stay the same and also the cost of the credits stay the same,” she said. “I’m guessing yes but like, I’m not sure if it would be believable or not because I feel like probably prices could go up because of a new building and then construction.”
During the town hall’s question and answer session, AWC President
Dr. Daniel Corr assured the college’s commitment to providing an accessible education: “Absolutely not. These dollars will be invested, partnerships leveraged and the Arizona Western College tuition remains the best bargain in town, especially for those dual credit students taking courses in the college credit in the high school at 25 bucks per credit hours.”
On the subject of education, Canchola had asked the legislators during the student session what they can do for National Guard military members’ education funds.
“I know that they get a big portion of their funds from the state governments, not the federal government’s. I know they get a smaller portion but it’s not the same as active duty, or it’s not the same as active duty or reserves. I do know that,” he said. “And [Fernandez] basically told me that he would find out. He said that he knows people that run the National Guard for Arizona or at least has contacts. So I do appreciate that he didn’t give false promises and be like, ‘Okay, you know, we’re gonna do this, this and that.’ No, he said he’ll find out and then if he can do something about it, they’ll do something about it.”
Also of concern to the region, students generally were interested to hear about water.
“I know water was a big topic that they were talking about and I find it kind of interesting because, like, water is integral and we are, majority of our land is agriculture,” Canchola said. “It is very important, especially around here, and I know from my family experience that we’re the biggest producers for certain crops – I think lettuce is one of them – and so for the country, it’s very important.”
Fellow student Lexi Avila also asked Rep. Dunn about water, stating that the headlines in the news about water levels in the Colorado River lowering are really concerning.
“He stated that they are making cuts and they are putting aside $1 billion of their funding to go find other resources of water and also trying to find ways of when we’re using water for grass and things like that to find conservation, ways of bringing it back into our system to reuse it,” she said. “So I think that was really great. I was looking for a plan and I appreciate that I did hear some sort of a plan, and it definitely lessens my worries.”
The last of the student concerns shared with the Yuma Sun were focused more directly on AWC. Namely, safety and transportation.
“How can AWC become more [safe] regarding guns?” Magana asked. “Because I know we’re not allowed to have guns, especially with us having like two [shooting scares] last year. And the scare and the communication here, unfortunately, was not very [accessible] for those who were either in lockdown and for those who were on their way coming to school.
“They (AWC) had said that they’re creating an app that’s been in process within a year and this app is supposed to connect you directly to the sheriffs, the police department. And you’re recording what like, currently is happening that you’re aware of where you’re located. So that’s something they’re focusing on but they never said when that should be finished. They just mentioned that it’s a process. It’s been a year in the making. So I’m hoping that that would happen.”
She referenced the Livesafe system Arizona State University currently uses where anyone who’s enabled notifications receives alerts about suspect activity, area closures and details to identify suspects when applicable.
Magana and Meza commented that twin students attending the session also asked about the possibility of creating a Yuma County Area Transportation (YCAT) route that directly travels back and forth between AWC’S Yuma and San Luis campuses without stops in between.
“We’re taking two more hours in our time–,” Meza began. “– to come here when they could have been maybe within 30 minutes,” Magana finished.
“Having this session with them (the legislators) was really; it was really great to meet some of them and they’re providing us all this knowledge that, you know, it’s different when Dr. Corr gives us a presentation of what’s going on, and then actually talking to the people, the legislators, who are actually involved in that? That was really exciting,” Magana concluded. “I just feel like there’s some unanswered questions. So, I mean, I’m hoping that they could get back to us and give us those answers. Because if not, it just makes us feel unsure.
“For instance, can they (the college) guarantee students that the price of college will not go up? Is that guaranteed? Or is it guaranteed that the app [will be] working? Or what happens? When we do get another shooting? Is this app going to finish within the next year? I mean, they gave me a deadline for dental hygiene but there’s no deadline for it or there’s no name, and we need more specifics. And that would be a little helpful. I know not everyone knows everything, and I know everything’s a work in progress but less information makes us feel very doubtful.”