Ribbon Cutting

It was just 16 months ago today that we celebrated the ground breaking ceremony for the Center for Student Success. The building has been open and in almost full use since a few days before the semester begin last week.

Numerous times I have watched the video -- the animation of what the building would look like on the outside and the inside, but honestly as great as the video forecast was, it can't begin to compare with actually being in the building, walking through the various areas, seeing the large meeting room for the Board of Trustee meetings, and the lovely offices that house the student newspaper, the faculty Innovation Center, and so much more.

During construction it seemed as though they were just going to push dirt around and dig giant-sized holes forever. Then one day the ground was flat, the foundation poured, and soon walls were standing and construction crews were everywhere. The building is right around the corner from my office. I walk next to it to get to my car in the parking lot.

In the photo the two women on the left and the one wearing the blue jacket are all on the Board of Trustees; our college president, Dr. Brenda Davis is in the middle in the maroon suit; next to her in the bugandy shirt is the student body president, and on the far right is the college chancellor, Dr. Gregory Gray.

I'm sure this is not very exciting or meaningful to my friends outside of the college, but this is my 20th year at this institution. When I was hired, there were only 5, 6, or 9 of us who were fulltime faculty; it was a satelite campus of the college in the neighboring community; we used to dream of the day when we'd become an accredited college and when the property would have numerous buildings. That day has come.

I've been at numerous ground breaking and ribbon cutting ceremonies at the campus. They are all exciting, but the greatest excitement and what gives me goose-bumps is knowing that lives have been changed because they have come and worked hard to earn an education and have then gone on to be valuable members of society.

This was a terrific day!
Good night from a very cool Southern California (64 degrees).
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka