All Entries in the "News" Category

Chancellor Flores recovering from emergency heart surgery

Pima Community College Chancellor Roy Flores was resting at Tucson Medical Center on Feb. 3 after doctors placed a stent in a coronary artery and performed an emergency angioplasty.

Paramedics took Flores to TMC after he experienced severe chest pains while working at PCC’s District Office.

In October 2011, Flores underwent quadruple-bypass heart surgery. He returned to work on a part-time basis on Nov. 28, and had gradually been increasing his workload.

Flores, who turns 70 in April, has been chancellor since 2003. On Jan. 20, he announced that he would retire at the end of the year.

From a PCC news release

 —————————————————–

By DAVID MENDEZ

Pima Community College Chancellor Roy Flores announced Friday that he plans to retire from his position “no later than the end of the year.”

Flores’ announcement was sent via mass email to PCC personnel at 4:30 p.m. He returned to work last fall after taking time off to recover from quadruple bypass heart surgery in October.

In his email, Flores reflects upon his life and career, outlining his path from a “shoeshine boy in East Chicago at age 9” to the present. He has spent the last four decades as an educator and administrator.

He explains his thought process regarding his retirement (“I can’t remember the last time I had a real vacation,” he writes) and says his “single-minded focus to work” has worn on him.

“The bottom line is pretty straightforward: The time has come to retire,” Flores wrote, citing his upcoming 70th birthday and recovery from heart surgery as factors leading to his decision.

Flores also touts PCC’s accomplishments over his tenure as chancellor, including a document attached to the email, before thanking the PCC Board of Governors, faculty and staff for their work.

The letter ends with Flores expressing his confidence in the future of Pima Community College, writing “success will be assured if we continue to adapt and meet the needs of the community we serve.”

Read the full text of Flores’ email here.

Read the attachment (“A Short Retrospective”) to Flores’ email here.

Tucson hopes to ban texting while driving

BY ANDRIA SKANSE

Many drivers have done it at least once. No, not speeding, rolling through a stop sign or yelling at other drivers on the road, but texting while driving.

The issue has been debated for years. Currently, 35 states ban texting while driving, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

While Arizona legislators struggle to pass a statewide law, Tucson City Council members are moving to outlaw texting while driving.

All six council members voiced support Jan. 10 for a ban. They will vote early next month on a city ordinance that makes texting while driving a primary offense, with fines ranging from $250 to $1,000.

Steve Kozachik, Ward 6 council member, said texting while driving involves three critical mistakes.

You’re taking your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel and your mind off of what you’re doing,” he told KOLD News 13.

Of course, not everyone agrees.

PCC student Megan Sullivan thinks it will be hard to determine whether a driver was texting.

“I agree that it’s dangerous,” Sullivan said, but from a realistic standpoint, they need to think it through more.”

PCC student Manny Lonjino gives the proposed law a thumbs up.

“I think it’s a good idea,” he said. “I do it sometimes, I’m not gonna lie, but it is dangerous.”

Txting & Driving?

Senator re-files guns on campus legislation

By MEGGIE COSTELLO-KESSLER

Guns could soon be allowed onto university and college campuses in Arizona.

A bill introduced by Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, would allow faculty and students with concealed weapons permits to carry their guns on campus.

Under HB 2254, campuses would no longer have authority to ban guns. College officials would be allowed to keep guns out of campus buildings if they post a sign and provide a secure area for gun storage.

A similar bill was introduced last year to allow guns in campus passageways but not inside buildings. Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the bill because it was vague and could have also applied to K-12 campuses.

Gould worked with the National Rifle Association to draft the new, more clearly written bill. He introduced it Jan. 9 at the beginning of a new Arizona legislative session.

Those against HB 2254 believe it will only lead to more violence and confusion during situations requiring police action.

“Pima Community College’s position on this issue has not changed since last year when the legislature debated SB 1467,” C.J. Karamargin, vice chancellor of public relations, said. “At that time and today, such legislation will not make college campuses safer and could very well have undesirable negative consequences.”

Existing Arizona gun laws authorize individual campuses to decide if guns are permitted. Currently, no colleges allow guns.

Karamargin said state gun mandates interfere with the autonomy of PCC’s governing board, which is elected by Pima County voters.

James Sanchez, PCC’s psychologist and head of the Student Behavioral Assessment Committee, also opposes the bill.

“My opinion is there’s nothing wrong with the current law and I don’t see an improvement in security by changing it,” he said.

Those in favor of the bill believe it will allow students and faculty to defend themselves if a crazed shooter goes on a rampage.

In a New York Times story, University of California at Los Angeles law professor Eugene Volokh cited evidence that crime rates increase when people who might use a gun in self-defense are denied that right. He also said evidence exists that criminals are deterred by the possibility of confronting an armed victim.

The Arizona Citizens Defense League, a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to upholding citizens’ rights to self-defense and bear arms, believe those rights are the “foundation for all other rights.”

“The reason we’re in favor of campus carry is because only an idiot would believe posting a sign will make you safe,” Charles Heller, communications director for the AzCDL, said.

“In other words, when you post a sign telling criminals and crazies that they have a killing field, you have established a government-enforced defenseless victim zone.”

Sidebar

Assortment of topics on legislative agenda

A variety of other topics will be discussed in the new legislative session. Some include:

• Banning teen drivers from texting.
• Changing laws to ban new artificial drugs.
• Protecting manufacturers from lawsuits in product-liability cases.
• Requiring parents to promptly report missing children.
• Permitting casinos beyond reservations.
• Taxing Internet sales.

To track legislative issues, visit azleg.gov.

PCC to roll out new website Feb. 6

By KYLE WASSON

Pima Community College officials will unveil a faster, more user-friendly website Feb. 6.

“We took a step back and really noticed what needed to be refreshed,” said Cindy Dooling, acting vice chancellor for information technology. “The website was due for an update.”

After selecting a vendor in 2010, the college created focus groups consisting of faculty, students, administrators and staff.

The groups met with IT personnel and project coordinators at each campus, outlining changes ranging from website design to content.

“Once the users decided on the design and what features were most important, we then began the process of moving over 2,000 pages of content from the old site to the new,” Dooling said.

After months of meetings, the groups decided an “I Want” theme offered the best description of student website searches.

The top three services rendered at pima.edu are paying for classes, using MyPima and searching for details about programs or campuses.

The new site will use a cookie-based program that connects all links and allows users to customize up to 10 commonly visited pima.edu sites on their MyLinks.

New features and tabs include:

• Pima’s first-ever mobile-friendly version – Pima.edu will be easier to navigate and will load faster on mobile devices.

• Get Involved – A link to information concerning campus clubs/organizations, with details on how to become a member.

• Family of Students – This tab offers information for family members of Pima students. Important dates, school enrollment information and more will be available.

• English/Spanish translated pages – Any page you view in English can be translated into Spanish with a click of the mouse. English as a Second Language students at Pima did translations.

Dooling said the new website will be much easier to navigate and will let users find what they are seeking more quickly.

Image courtesy of PCC

FYI

Anyone interested in previewing the new website is welcome to attend a one-hour video conference demonstration on Feb. 2.

Each PCC campus will open its video conference room for sessions at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m

For further details, call 206-4500.

Giffords resigns after five years in Congress

By CHELO GRUBB

 Gabrielle Giffords officially resigned from Congress on Jan. 25, just over a year after being shot in the head at an event in Tucson.

Giffords posted a video on her Facebook page to announce her plan to resign after five years in Congress.

“To do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week,” Giffords said in the video. “A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that, but I know on the issues we fought for we can change things for the better.

 “I don’t remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice,” she said in her video.

 Giffords’ letter of resignation was read on the House floor by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D- Florida.

“Even as I have worked to regain my speech, thank you for your faith in my ability to be your voice,” Wasserman Schultz said, reading Giffords letter.

“I have more work to do on my recovery before I can serve in elected office,” Giffords’ letter read.

 Her resignation took place after she placed a final vote of support on a bill she sponsored, addressing smuggling on the U.S. Mexico border.

 “While it will officially be the Giffords-Flake bill, it really is Gabby’s legislation,” U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake wrote on Facebook on Jan. 24. “She worked on it long before last year’s tragedy. It’s passage will be a great tribute to her.”

The bill, which would outlaw the use of ultralight aircraft carriers used to smuggle drugs, passed unanimously.

The Senate is expected to pass the bill as early as Jan. 26.

 The night before her resignation, Giffords appeared at the State of the Union address. Her appearance was met by cheers of “Gabby” and a hug from President Barack Obama.

“I’m getting better, every day my sprit is high. I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country,” Giffords said in her video.

News Briefs

PCC celebrates 10th anniversary of El Rio

Pima Community College will celebrate the 10th anniversary of El Rio Adult Learning Center on Jan. 27 at the El Rio Neighborhood Center from 4 p.m.- 6 p.m.

The Center is located at 1390 W. Speedway Blvd.

The event will in honor of student leadership in adult learning.

-By Chelo Grubb

PCC, ASU expanding degree program

Pima Community College and Arizona State University are expanding their Transfer Admission Guarantee program to add 16 degrees, bringing the number of degrees in the program to 27.

TAG is a transfer program that guarantees students admission into an ASU undergraduate-degree program upon completing the requirements. Through this program, students are able to complete their associate’s degrees at PCC and bachelor’s degrees at ASU. New bachelor’s degrees include biological sciences, history, family & human development, sociology and business.

For more information, contact C.J. Karamargin at 206-4850 or ckaramargin@pima.edu.

-By Miki Jennings

PCC celebrates new EMT training facility

Pima Community College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new EMT training facility at East Campus.

The facility cost approximately $350,000. It consists of six rooms for training and testing and a mock apartment to simulate and prepare students for tight spaces.

The facility was created by enclosing an overhang of a building adjacent to the current EMT classroom and laboratory.

The space also provides an improved area to administer exams for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

-By Miki Jennings

PCC participates in nationwide study

Pima Community College is one of 50 colleges that participated in a nationwide study to gauge the effectiveness of community colleges.

Local television station KVOA did a story on PCC’s involvement in the study. Vice Provost Dr. Mary Ann Martinez-Sanchez discussed PCC’s role in the Voluntary Framework Accountability in the story.

VFA is a national system of accountability for and by community colleges. Chancellor Dr. Roy Flores is on the Steering Committee of the VFA.

-By Miki Jennings

Brewer’s budget good news for PCC

Gov. Jan Brewer has proposed an increase in state funding for Pima Community College in the 2013 fiscal year.

After years of deep cuts to higher education, $7,353,500 was tagged for appropriation to PCC.

The budget announced Jan. 13 allocated $207,000 more for PCC than the 2012 budget.

According to PCC Chancellor Roy Flores, state aid had fallen 70 percent since 2009.

A “Four Cornerstones of Reform” section on Brewer’s website says, “Education has always been a top priority… I believe an educated, skilled workforce is essential to the Arizona economy.”

Brewer also outlined broad education goals she wants the state to meet by 2020.

The goals include increasing the high school graduation rate and doubling the number of college students who complete a four-year degree.

These proposals and goals are a striking contrast to results of the annual Grapevine Study: In 2011, Arizona suffered the second largest budget cuts to higher education in the nation. Only New Hampshire’s 41 percent drop exceeded Arizona’s 25 percent reduction in state funding.

Nationally, funding was approximately reduced by $6 billion over the past year.

-By Nina Elliott

Proposed postal closing could affect Tohonos

By EDWINA FRANCISCO

A mail-processing center in Topawa, Ariz., a small village south of Sells, is one of approximately 3000 nationally listed for closure.

Earlier this month, Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez sent a letter to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S Department of Justice outlining problems that may affect Tohono O’odham voters.

Her letter came in response to a U.S Postal Service proposal all Arizona mail be processed in Phoenix as a cost-cutting measure.

Closing local mail-processing centers would “effectively shorten the early voting period” for all Arizona voters, Rodriguez said, and would be worse for O’odham voters who live in remote areas.

The Tohono O’odham Nation is the second largest tribe in Arizona. The 4,460-square-mile nation has just one post office, located in Sells. There is no home postal delivery.

Topawa resident Janice Rios says, “The change would definitely be different considering, I would have to drive an extra few miles just for my mail.”

“The struggle that our elderly would face would be finding transportation to and from Sells, this may be a hassle because the Post Office will no longer be down the street.”

The Sells post office will remain open, according to postal officials.

Tucson’s mail-processing plant is also on the closure list. Tucson and Pima County officials oppose the plan, saying it will cost hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars.

Postal officials say no final decisions have been made. The earliest date that the mail-processing plants would close is May 15.

People across the nation have had mixed reactions to the ongoing news coming from the United States Post Office.

Steve Hutkins, a literature professor at the Gallatin School of New York University, has started a website called “Save the Post Office.”

This website complies news articles relating to postal closures, and showcases media about the USPS through the years.

Hutkins also writes blogs about individual post office events and issues to his website.

Look for the website at savethepostoffice.com.

FYI

Comments on the proposal to close local mail-processing plants can be sent to:

USPS Manager, Consumer

   and Industry Contact

P.O Box 21628

Phoenix, AZ 85036-1628

Pell grant cut to affect 100,000 students

By TESSA CASE

Pell grants will be cut for as many as 100,000 students nationwide under a budget bill passed in December by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Millions of low-income college students receive the federal grants each year. The new budget law hopes to save an estimated $11 billion over the next 10 years by tightening eligibility requirements.

Upon it’s passing, the maximum Pell grant available to students would be $5,550 and the minimum would be $550. However, the following changes will take effect:

•       The maximum number of semesters a student could use Pell grants to earn an undergraduate degree would be lowered from 18 to 12. The restriction does not take into consideration whether the student attends school part time or full time.

•        Families earning less than $23,000 annually would be eligible for the maximum grant. Currently, families earning under $30,000 are eligible.

•        Students would need a high school diploma or GED certificate to be eligible.

“The change is going to have a dramatic impact on college enrollment and thousands of people,” Chancellor Roy Flores said in a report at PCC’s January Board of Governors meeting.

PCC does not have any students who have attended school for 18 semesters, Flores noted in his Chancellor’s report.

However, there are currently 54 students who have been enrolled for 15 semesters, above the 12-semester eligibility limit, who would not be eligible for Pell grants next semester when the changes take effect.

Flores said PCC needs to help those students transfer or graduate before they are ineligible for Pell grants.

THE WORD: How do you stay stress-free during the semester?

Interviews and photos by Roberto Avendaño

“I try to stay organized and up on my work, making sure I do it all and I don’t get behind on assignments.”

Sara Holbrook
Science

East Campus

“I have everything planned out before the semester so I keep up with or ahead of the schedule.”

Nikko Grau
Business Administration

East Campus

“I try to manage my time and I do little bits of work at a time so I don’t get overloaded.”

Kade Gigliotti

Engineering

East Campus

“By doing some good exercise and by getting lots of sleep.”

Alma Ruiz

Undeclared major

East Campus

“First of all, exercise. Then I do all my homework on time because if your homework is done, there’s no stress.”

Daniel Trejo

Engineering

East Campus

“I work out, shoot guns and ride horses.”

Tyler Goeswick

Engineering

East Campus

PCC changes agendas to comply with Open Meetings law

By ERIC KLUMP

The Pima Community College Board of Governors changed how its meeting agendas are written after finding it had been violating Arizona’s Open Meetings law.

The changes came after a complaint by community member Mary Schuh during the Sept. 21 BOG meeting.

Schuh, who attends meetings on behalf of the Pima Association of Taxpayers, claimed PCC did not provide sufficient information in its agendas.

She said it would be hard for the public to understand what would happen at meetings based only on the agenda listings.

The agendas had been written as two- or three-word bullet points since the 1970s. College officials said they thought the format complied with Open Meetings law requirements.

“It was disgraceful,” Schuh said, adding she was surprised that no one had spotted the issue before.

Schuh also registered her complaint with the Pima County Attorney’s Office, which instructed PCC to make its agenda listings more comprehensive.

PCC spokesman C.J. Karamargin said the agendas were written in a format similar to those used by other community colleges in the state.

“Once contacted by the Pima County Attorney’s Office, we responded very quickly to the recommendations made,” Karamargin said.

Karamargin said the college wants to have transparency and will react quickly to situations such as the open meeting complaint.

FYI

All 50 states and the federal government have some form of an open meetings law. Arizona enacted its law in 1962.

Key provisions of the Arizona Open Meetings Law include:

• All meetings of any public body shall be open to any member of the public that wishes to attend. Specific exceptions apply.
• All meetings that are performed by a public body shall have an open agenda providing a reasonable amount of information about what is to be discussed.

PCC loses $270,000 in federal aid to online scammers

 By CHELO GRUBB

Pima Community College gave nearly $270,000 in federal aid to 71 scammers who posed as online students from Mississippi.

Community campus assessment and testing staff were the first to notice the odd behavior surrounding the scammers.

“They deserve a lot of credit,” PCC spokesman C.J. Karamargin said.

The federal government screens Pell grant applicants, to make sure their information seems legitimate. All of the scammers, known as Pell Runners, provided real social security numbers and addresses of foreclosed homes on their applications.

Beyond running the information through databases, the government runs spot checks to verify the applications.

None of the PCC scammers were spot-checked.

Karamargin said the Pell Runners were from one area of Mississippi. They behaved strangely and aggresssively on the phone, and were vague about past college experience. They also passed the phone around to handle multiple applications at a time.

The Pell Runners also did poorly on their assessment tests, taking as little as 15 minutes on the test, which takes some students 90 minutes.

PCC’s new admission policy, which will require students to test into courses, may prevent future scams. Students who don’t score high enough will be placed in a 10-week remedial education program, which is not eligible for financial aid.

“The new admissions policy will be an added hurdle,” Karamargin said.

PCC is one of more than 100 schools nationwide reporting cases in which people posing as long-distance online students took Pell grants without actually participating in any classes.

Karamargin said PCC now has a “considerably heightened awareness” of how the fraud rings work, and will be “significantly more vigilant in our review.”

Pima hopes to recover the lost money, and is working to verify all Pell grant applications.

“The college will put every legal effort into attempting to recover all the funds,” Karamargin said. “Students in legitimate need will not be hurt.”

Events slated to remember Jan. 8 shooting

Members of the community dressed as angels line the road during Judge John Roll's funeral last January. Events are scheduled throughout the day on Jan. 7 to remember Judge Roll and other shooting victims.

By DEBBIE HADLEY

“Beyond” was created as a way for Tucson locals to post events remembering the Jan. 8 shootings and its victims.

On Jan. 7, dozens of organzations like Tucson Medical Center and Pima Community College will host festivals and health fairs. Other events listed on the Beyond website center around running, walking or biking both in nature and around Tucson.

PCC’s Festival of Democracy will be held at West Campus on Jan. 7 from 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are needed, and should email Christy Yebra at cyebra@pima.edu.

The Festival of Democracy includes Run for Office races, a fun run and a “Constitution Corner,” where particpants read passages from the well-known government document.

Attendees will have the opportunity to register to vote and paint a tile in remembrance of Jan. 8. For more information, visit www.beyond-tucson.org.

Other ‘Beyond’ events set for Jan. 7:

Beyond Festival, Reid Park

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Reid Park

22nd Street and

Country Club

Gabe Zimmerman

Memorial Trailhead

8:30 to 11 a.m.

Davidson Canyon

Marsh Station Road, Vail

Stroll & Roll

8:30 to 11 a.m.

Christina-Taylor Green

Memorial River Park

North Shannon Road and

West Magee Road

Kino Stadium Closing Ceremony

4 to 8 p.m.

Kino Stadium, 2500 E. Ajo Way

Student flees Iraqi religious persecution

By KARYN WALLIKER and KATTA MAPES

Maher Jawad lost more than half of his family to religious persecution and was on the run for years, moving from place to place, friend to friend, to stay alive.

Jawad, a Pima Community College student enrolled in the English as a Second Language program, is a Shiite Muslim from a small Iraqi village called Jedidat al-Shatt, northwest of Baghdad.

Iraq’s Muslim population is 65 percent Shiite and 35 percent Sunni. The two branches believe in different lines of succession from Mohammed, and have been in conflict for more than 1,400 years.

Photo By Karyn Williker

Jawad disdains the religious turmoil. “I am an artist, a poet,” he said. “I love in my heart all the people of the world.”

He was the youngest of six brothers and one sister. For many years, Jawad’s family prospered on a farm. Then in 1979, Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq.

Immediately, violence escalated. Baath Party extremists imprisoned hundreds of thousands of Shia, and most of Jawad’s siblings were killed.

In 1986, at age 18, Jawad was captured by Baath police, tortured and sentenced to 20 years in prison. After four years and 10 months, he was pardoned and forced into the Iraqi army.

He was taken directly from prison to the front lines of Iraq’s war against Kuwait. After a few days, he escaped the army and flagged down a Kuwaiti civilian motorist.

The man heeded Jawad’s pleas and agreed to drive him across the border into Iraq. He gave Jawad a change of clothes and hid him in the back of his car.

“He wouldn’t let me know his name,” Jawad said.

After five years and no news, surviving family members were shocked to see Jawad alive.

In November 1993, Jawad married Ashwak, a distant cousin. Baath terrorists continued to harass his family, showing up at their home about every six months.

By 2002, Jawad and his wife had three children and one on the way. They were constantly on the run, spending a few weeks or months in a place, and moving before they were reported.

In the early fall of that year, they were staying at a friend’s farm near a small Sunni village.  Jawad ran an errand, leaving his pregnant wife alone with their children.

While he was away, his car broke down. After spending several hours getting the vehicle fixed.  Jawad returned to find that Ashwak had given birth. The umbilical cord still connected her to the baby boy.

Sending for paramedics was too risky, so Ashwak guided Jawad in cutting the cord. He decided they couldn’t go on living like that, and needed to leave Iraq.

In January 2003, when the baby was 4 months old, Jawad spent $10,000 to obtain falsified passports for himself and his wife.

The family traveled to Syria and hired a smuggler to get them across the border to Lebanon. They would ford the Kabir River under cover of darkness.

The night was cold, and the river ran swift with mountain runoff. Jawad helped his three older children across the river first, then returned for his wife and the baby.

Jawad gripped his wife in one arm and infant son in the other as he carefully crossed the stream. The water was up to his neck when river stones beneath his feet moved. He stumbled in the powerful current and the infant was swept from the crook of his arm.

He pushed Ashwak toward the dimly visible far shore and turned to rescue the baby, who had disappeared under the choppy water. All the while, he feared the border patrol would hear and capture them, but the family safely reached Lebanon.

Jawad and his family stayed in Lebanon until 2004, when they returned to a U.S.-occupied Iraq in hopes of reuniting with family in a more peaceful time. Disappointed, they eventually returned to Lebanon.

Rasem, 5, is named after Jawad's brother, who was gunned down in Iraq.

In 2008, Jawad went to the United Nations in Lebanon to apply for refugee placement. His case was approved, and his family was assigned for relocation to the United States.

Jawad and his wife are now the parents of five children. The family has lived in Tucson for 3½ years, and is acclimating to life in the United States.

Jafa Jawad, 9, is adjusting well to his life in America after his trying times in Iraq.

His children adapted quickly. They have learned English and all attend public school.

Jawad has no plans to move back to Iraq. He wants to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL, and continue his education. He hopes to eventually become a U.S. citizen.

“I like the people of the U.S.,” Jawad said. “I feel that they have mercy.”

Health care a challenge for students in search of affordable health insurance

By JOEL GANTT

Many young Americans face the dilemma of acquiring health insurance. With so many Internet ads and different healthcare providers, it is hard to choose the best option.

At Pima Community College, many younger students are covered by their parents’ healthcare.

“I am on my dad’s health insurance,” 20-year-old student Dulce Torres said. “I haven’t thought about what I will do when that runs out.”

What does happen when your parents can’t keep you on their insurance any longer? Can college students even afford their own health care?

I didn’t have insurance, but an injury forced me to purchase a health plan that would allow me to see a doctor.

The injury occurred while I was playing softball at a local park. As I slid into second base, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my foot.

To save myself embarrassment, I jumped up and continued as if nothing had happened. After the game, however, I experienced extreme soreness and discoloration around my heel.

I limped around for a few days in hopes the pain would subside and eventually go away. I didn’t think my foot was broken, but when the pain still lingered a week later I decided to see a doctor.

Currently, I live alone and work as a bartender while attending PCC. The last time I had health coverage was in high school under my mother’s health plan.

As a student working at a job that doesn’t offer healthcare benefits, what were my options?

When I searched “healthcare” on the computer, I found endless websites that urged me to register for an insurance provider.

After viewing several sites that seemed to be selling rather than providing, I finally discovered a site that seemed trustworthy.

The azblue.com website is a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona provider that displays a list of different health care packages and options. The selling point was month-to-month plans that could be cancelled at anytime.

The most affordable plan costs $30 a month. The office visit co-pay is $30 for a basic doctor and $50 for a specialist. Generic prescriptions are $15 and name-brand prescriptions cost $125.

I filled out an application that asked for personal information and medical history. After paying a one-time $20 application fee and the first month of coverage, I was able to print my temporary insurance card.

The website provided a list of medical practitioners, which helped me select a nearby doctor who could see me within a week.

My doctor didn’t think I needed an X-ray, and said I had probably just suffered a deep-pressure bruise to my heel. He answered all my questions and gave me a physical. Ultimately, he gave me sense of relief.

I had given myself peace of mind by getting to a doctor and finding a health plan, but used limited research in my rush. I still was not sure that this was my best option for health care.

Although PCC does not offer a health insurance program, there is a convenient and affordable medical clinic located on a Pima campus.

The Marana Health Center provides students and non-students discounted health care at 12 clinics located throughout Marana and Tucson. One clinic is located next to the cafeteria on West Campus.

MHC will evaluate a patient’s income and provide health care at a very affordable rate.

In order to be evaluated, you need a month’s worth of paystubs or proof of income, proof of address (electric or utility bill) and government-issued identification.

If a person makes less than $900 per month, the co-pay is $15 to be seen by a physician. Prescriptions are also available with a discounted co-pay.

MHC also offers dental and specialty doctor options, with a separate program for hospital visits. There is no signup fee and no contract.

The health center offers the most affordable coverage that I found in Tucson. Once I discovered this, I cancelled my Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan.

In comparison with Blue Cross Blue Shield, MHC will save me $30 a month and $15 on each office visit.

My advice to fellow students in need of health care is to visit a MHC clinic, then seek cheaper alternatives. Don’t make the mistake I did, losing $50 because I did not know all of the options.

***

Dental services available through Pima program

By RYAN TSARSIS

Finding a dentist in Tucson without insurance is tough. Many insurance plans have deductibles that allow a certain amount of coverage, causing a major toothache for those who can’t afford the extra work needed.

I recently received a free oral cleaning and teeth whitening from the Pima Community College West Campus Dental Hygiene Clinic during a health fair.

The visit stirred up bad memories from dental procedures past.

As a native of Freehold, N.J., I spend my summers back in the comforts of home. When my mother received an offer for a free whitening and X-ray, she encouraged me to visit the dentist’s office.

My simple trip to the dentist became an oral nightmare. Although my pearly whites were clean, the X-rays revealed eight cavities. It had been some time since my last visit, and I didn’t know how I could pay for the procedure.

I asked the dentist, a family friend, what the X-ray and whitening would cost without the special offer. He said $250.

My oral screening and whitening at Pima got me wondering what a whitening and X-ray procedure would cost at the Dental Hygiene Clinic. The answer: $70.

The low price encouraged me to research other opportunities the clinic has to offer.

Overall, the service fees were at times up to 80 percent less than a traditional dentist visit.

With slashed costs comes longer waits. Clinic workers stress that services may take multiple visits and up to three hours per visit. Dental hygiene students, under the supervision of licensed dental hygienists, provide the services.

The clinic provides PCC students with limited or even no insurance an opportunity to receive necessary dental services.

Clinic rates include whitening for $55, sealant for $15, periotherapies for $20 and screening X-rays from $15, among other services.

The Dental Hygiene Clinic is open to the general public. For more information, call 206-4500.

Adelante program: Finding paths to success

 By ASTRID VERDUGO

 For students like Jose Fernando Valencia, the Adelante Program, a performance based scholarship offered to Hispanic males only, will direct his future towards the most optimal path for success.

 Valencia’s aptitudes have helped him become part of the honors colloquium with a set plan to major in engineering at Pima Community College and transfer to Arizona State University in the Fall of 2013.

He has also become a student ambassador and a prospective Phi Theta Kappa member at PCC.

 “Growing up, school really wasn’t one of my priorities — I wasn’t the book nerd you see today,” Valencia said.

 “I would do just enough to get by and after finally taking a year off school I just realized how important education is.”

 The Adelante Program is part of a national study that will determine an answer to the question, “If Hispanic males are provided with financial aid, would that change the outcome of their future?”

 Frank Velasquez is the advanced program coordinator for PCC.

 “These studies are basically seeing whether or not it makes a difference and certainly for our particular program we specifically chose Hispanic males because they traditionally struggle in higher education,” he said.

According to Valencia, statistics state that two out of three Hispanic males who attend college in general will never graduate.

 “So what the program wants to determine is if Hispanic males have the funds available, would they attend college and would they finish? I make part of that research group — I’m actually the last group to benefit from this,” he said.

Both Valencia and Velasquez emphasize that Hispanic males are notably hesitant to ask for help.

 “My culture in particular being Mexican — we’re really known as being hard headed, I guess,” Valencia said.

 “We stick to our ideals and, well, me in particular I tend to do things a certain way, my way, and if it doesn’t work my way it’s really hard to switch me to another way.”

“Traditionally Hispanic males won’t ask for help,” Velasquez said to the Board of Governors at the Nov. 9 regular meeting.

“I know it’s a challenge and I certainly know it’s an obstacle to get past,” he said in a subsequent interview.

The Adelante Program is a three-semester program. It awards up to $1,500 per semester.

Orientation, advising sessions, workshops, tutoring and meetings (called “platicas”) are required in order to receive the award.

There are 1,029 students in the study, but 612 are granted the financial award.

Valencia said that males tend to drop out of college because of financial constraints and family circumstances.

“Whether they need to provide for their families, help out with the bills or if they need to provide child support — those are the trends that they’ve noticed,” Valencia said.

“In comparison to women, it actually shows that females that are attending college they’re graduating compared to males.”

The Adelante Program has opened a lot of doors for its members.

“You see, I didn’t even know we had a tutoring center available at the campus. If it wasn’t for Adelante I would never attend tutoring, period,” he said.

“I believe that this program has gotten me more focused into school — I’m more determined to finish and to prove a point that we have to get this out there for the future.”

Valencia expressed how beneficial this program would be for thousands of students and hopes its permanency remains.

“If it has a positive outcome, it would pretty much work like a Pell grant; if you are a Hispanic male then you’re eligible for this program,” Valencia said.

“In order for this to happen it has to be a success. They have to see positive results and so the research group is going to keep track of us.”

Maori Development Research Centre, the research group conducting this study will use the student’s social security number to keep track of the student’s progress for years to come.

“I believe they follow us eight to ten years and from that they’ll determine the results,” Valencia said.

“They will determine what types of jobs we end up with after we graduate.”

The Adelante Program is comprised of Hispanic males of diverse backgrounds and ages.

“Because it’s part of a study it can’t be biased in any way so everyone had a fair shot at being selected for the Adelante Program,” Velasquez said.

PCC is among the last schools in the nation to determine the outcome of this study and Valencia is part of the last group at Pima to benefit from this program.

In 2013, the study’s data will be compiled. Only then can the Adelante story be told in full.