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Glendale Community College dedicates 50th Anniversary Time Capsule GCC sends itself 25 years into the future! By Bette and Ed Sharpe - Glendale Daily Planet
The first ever time capsule for Glendale Community College was dedicated on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. The capsule will be buried on the main campus on the east side of the Dr. Joe Grego Counseling and Career Services Building. One of the last items that will go into the capsule is this year’s commencement program. Items in the capsule will reflect the times, the culture and daily life of the faculty, staff and students of Glendale Community College. The 50th Anniversary Time Capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2040 or twenty-five years from now. Will people care about the iPhone and Google in 2040?
Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 13334. Amy Gonzales and Suzanne Smelser are standing just outside of the Dr. Joe Griego Counseling and Career Services Building on the main campus, 6000 West Olive Avenue, Glendale. This is the only time capsule Glendale Community College has had.
Bette Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 2980. Ed Sharpe, Glendale Daily Planet (AA in General Business GCC late 70s), has a DVD of the Glendale Daily Planet / KKAT-IPTV edition for the time capsule. Amy Gonzales and Suzanne Smelser (Holding the CD) set up the display and coordinated capsule items. Will we have DVD players 25 years from now? Who knows what people will think of the items in the time capsule? Twenty-five years into the future is a long time; a quarter of a century. The time capsule is about the size of a kitchen sink. In addition there are copies of the GCC's Paper The VOICE, Glendale Star, Arrowhead Independent, Glendale Today and the Arizona Republic to be viewed 25 years from now.
Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 3052. Dr. Irene Kovala, President of Glendale Community College, speaking at the Glendale Community College time capsule dedication held on the main campus on Wednesday, April 1, 2015.
Glendale Community College President, Dr. Irene Kovala… thanked the Associated Student Government for purchasing the capsule and invited everyone to "Take a moment to look at the items displayed on the tables and think what your life might be like in 25 years."The Only time capsule buried on the campus that we are aware of. To be opened in 2040 (25 years). Kovala stated "Merriam Webster defines time capsule as a container holding historical records or objects representative of current culture that is deposited for preservation until discovery by some future age."
Dr. Kovala thanked all who added the many items including a 3D printed snowflake, flash drive, iPhone, campus strategic plan and many other items that represent GCC daily life in 2015. There was special mention of an empty sushi container because sushi is the most popular item sold in the GCC food services area. Also included are letters from a founding student, founding faculty, current ASG president and herself.
Some of the key statistics mentioned by Dr Kovala were: GCC has come a long way since in 50 years. We started with: 1965 Headcount: 2,647 students. 2015 Headcount: over 18,000 students First graduation class on this campus site in May 1967: 145 students Now - May 2015: over 650 students The GCC Campus started with 8 permanent buildings and now there are over 30 buildings on campus.
Bette Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 3098. Glendale Community College President Dr. Irene Kovala shows off the plaque that will be attached to the vault that holds The of the Associated Student Government’s time capsule that will be buried for 25 years and opened in 2040.
Dr. Irene Kovala's Letter to the Future
To GCC in 2040: I am so pleased to write to you during the celebration of Glendale Community College’s 50th year Anniversary and, as a part of the time capsule event, to forecast the future “state” of GCC. First a little re-cap. We were founded in 1964-65 with nearly 2,000 students in two locations, not located where GCC sits today. In 2014-2015, we are 27,000 students strong in three locations: GCC Main on Olive Avenue in Glendale; GCC North on Happy Valley Road in Phoenix and the Communiversity in Surprise. The growth and expansion of these locations is due in great part to the expansion of the greater Phoenix area and the West Valley. We are proud partners in the Maricopa County Community College District. In 2015, with 11 colleges, this district is the largest in Arizona and serves more than 250,000 students annually. We provide an open door to many students: first generation of students attending college in their families, immigrants, adult students, students attending college while still in high school, international students from nearly 50 countries, veterans and many more. We proudly are a very diverse institution, serving ethnicities across the spectrum. We are also very diverse in our programs of study…transfer programs, career and technical programs, personal enrichment courses and pre-college courses including General Education and English as a Second Language. With a mission that serves an “open door” policy, Glendale embraces access and student success as our outcome. In 2015, we have faced many external challenges that undoubtedly will change some of the future practices of the college. No longer do we receive any funding from the state of Arizona. Federal laws and policies that govern significant aspects of the college are changing and becoming more abundant. Federal financial aid, a cornerstone in assisting college students in securing the funds to pay for college, is undergoing major change, including less grant and scholarship funding and increased reliance on borrowed funds and loans. In fact, student indebtedness is a growing concern for all colleges. Our practice of accreditation, the system under which colleges are deemed qualified as legitimate, is under scrutiny to change and be more responsive to consumer demands. Yet, Glendale is an important and significant institution to the West Valley and will continue to be in the future. My hope is that not only will Glendale continue its strategic role in Maricopa County and Arizona, its importance will increase in 25 years due to the relevance of the academic programs and agility of the college to respond to current needs. Given the challenges of the first fifty years and the ability of the college to develop programs to meet new emerging needs and be a provider of education that prepares an educated citizenry, there is no doubt that the vibrancy of Glendale will remain, albeit in a more mid-21st century version. The need for Glendale Community College is as resolute and prominent in 2040 as in 1965. With my best wishes to you, Dr. Irene Kovala
Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet. Rico
Moran, Associated Student Body President 2014-2015, From Ricardo "Rico" Moran Glendale Community College Associated Student Government President 2014-2015… Ricardo "Rico" Moran Glendale Community College Associated Student Government President 2014-2015 April 1, 2015 Glendale Community College Associated Student Government Student Union 123C Dear ASG, My name is Ricardo Moran but I was better known as Rico. I was proud to be the Associated Student Government President during Glendale Community College 50th year anniversary. On this date, we bury a piece of history. A piece in time that I have been privileged to be a part of. A time that has made me proud in serving our community, our campus but most of all our students. GCC is continuing to grow, not just in numbers but in its ability to adapt to our ever changing population. I have been here four years now and seeing new students come in and longstanding ones go has been amazing. Through ASG, the Male Empowerment Network (MEN), and the New Student Orientation presentations and tours that I participated in, I have been able to share my knowledge of GCC and my experiences with many students; showing that this campus, just has so much to offer. The
opportunities that GCC has offered me have been truly a blessing. I have
been the MEN Chapter President and a member of numerous clubs and
organizations on campus. I have met numerous of students from our own
campus and from the other Maricopa Colleges through our activities and
events. I have seen the endless support from our administrators, faculty
and staff. I have seen, the drive that our students have for the
opportunity of a higher education. I could only hope that that has
continued During my time here I have had the privilege to work alongside some very interesting and inspiring people. From my peers inside and outside of the classroom, to the members of my clubs and of course my coworkers in the Student Leadership Center, they have all provided me with the insight and motivation to carryon. I have a firm belief in that GCC has offered me pathways to a better life and the opportunity to hone in on the skills that I need for the steps along the way. A special thanks would have to go my Advisor Connie Greenwell and my best friend Patricia Martarella for continuing to teach me the lessons of life that we need outside of the classroom. At this moment, I am 26 years old. I have experienced so much of life already that it baffles me sometimes. I have become a pioneer to social networking and media. I have started several Hashtags (#) on Instagram such as; #manquotemondays and #thatmidweekthought. Hashtags might be strange to you but believe me, these days, it's a must when posting a picture online. Facebook is still going strong. If you do not find Facebook familiar, I suggest you Google it. If you do not have Google, than I hope we have found a way to share the world's enormous amount of information more efficient because right now, Google is the best thing on earth. I am currently majoring in Communication. I hope to move on next fall to the Northern University of Arizona extension program to continue my studies in Communication. One of my favorite instructors during my time here at GCC has to be Dr. James Reed. I'm sure that by the time you get to read this, he would have a building or two named after him. Amongst other things, music is a huge part of the student's everyday life. At least for those near me and myself. So many different kinds of music is out there right now and so much more is being invented. I work in an office for the majority of my day and without Pandora or YouTube constantly playing in the background, I would have a complete head of grey hairs. Albert Einstein said, "I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music." Whether you're the student that has continued walking by others on the way to class with your ear buds on full blast, or that one person who doesn't mind sharing his music with everyone else in the student union, music brings a sense of unity between students in 2015. Movies are a big deal still. We have the technology to replicate most fictional books and comics that I grew up reading. I personally enjoy Marvel's comic accomplishment of Captain America, X-Men and The Avengers. At the moment, DC Comics is starting to create their versions of films, and in my opinion, the Justice League is going to be amazing. The last Hunger Games movie is expected to come out later this year and if it's as good as the previous ones, then I'm excited. Although, I hope that in the near future J.K. Rowling has magically conspired with Professor Dumbledore and Snape to create a new book series involving all of my favorite characters from the Harry Potter books in order to convert them into awesome films once more. There is so much more I want to tell you about GCC and the early 2000's, but there is only so much room in this capsule. I have attached some of today's top lists. I hope you find them just as entertaining as we have. If you have any questions, please come look for me. I'll answer anything, or if anything you will enjoy an old timer's tall tale of a time that once was. As a proud and grateful member of this college, I hope that whoever reads this, has furthered their extrinsic understanding of a higher education but most importantly, have a deeper intrinsic understanding of the importance of an education. I wish you, the unknown future, the very best. Sincerely, Ricardo "Rico" Moran P.S. A special thanks to all those who have helped me get to where I am and for the support they have shown. Especially to my ASG Members. Associated Student Government 2015 Ricardo "Rico" Moran – President Anthony Lee Jr. - Vice President Victoria Moreno - Treasurer Jessica Mateo - Secretary John Garduno - Public Relations Jesus Saldana Jr. Anay Valdez Ariel Garcia Donnell Harris Juan Gerardo Palacios Aceves Robert Carrillo Teresa Bruno Andre Garcia Rebekah Morgan
Terry Bloss Glendale Community College 1964 – 1966 This is a first for me. How do you write a letter that describes events 50 years ago to a group who won’t read those descriptions for another 25 years? How do I bridge a 75-year gap in Glendale Community College history in some meaningful way? I first walked on to what was then the Maryland Extension of Phoenix College in the fall of 1964. I was fresh from a reasonably nondescript high school career. I played a little football, got decent grades, and was socially backward due to a shyness brought by an inability to speak clearly due to a stuttering problem. I was not happy with those years and was determined that college would be different. Realizing that all of the incoming freshmen were also new to the campus gave me a great feeling of being on equal ground. I faced a new world with completely new opportunities. With that in mind I ran for Freshman class President. Thanks to lots of posters, a meticulously rehearsed speech, and low voter turnout, I won that election. I was also privileged to serve Glendale as Associated Students’ President. Those opportunities proved to be a springboard to new friendships and new experiences. I gained more confidence in my abilities. I no longer shuddered in fear of speaking in front of people. That was important to learn since I ended up being a bi-vocational preacher a well as a career firefighter. My years at GCC were so pivotal to the success of my life. One of the friendships I forged was destined to drastically change my life. My second year at GCC I went from the Maryland Extension to the Camelback Extension campus. I had met Ron Atwood from Camelback at some leadership conferences. Once we were on the same campus we became fast friends. One day we were sitting and talking out by the campus swimming pool, probably cutting classes, when he suggested we join the Army together. Underscoring the innate ability of a teenager to reason logically to the wrong conclusion, I said, "Sure!" It was during the ensuing six years in the military that I met Suzie, my wife of almost 44 years, and we had our two wonderful daughters. As the years went on, we shared much love and laughter. We fostered 42 other children besides our own daughters. I finished up my college work at Dallas Baptist University. The basis for all of this was the opportunities and experiences that I had at GCC. I look back at the 50 years since I first set foot on a GCC campus and see such a changed world. The 60’s was a decade of tremendous cultural and political change. It many ways it was also a decade of moral change. As Bob Dylan put it, the times were a-changin’! So many movements started during that tumultuous decade. Movements for civil rights, the environment, and peace rose to the forefront. The Vietnam War brought a division in the country not seen since the Civil War era. Traditional attitudes toward extramarital sex and other "vices" went through a metamorphosis. It was an exciting time to be alive if you truly realized all that was happening. Many college students were deeply involved in these movements. Others seemed content to be wrapped up in their own little worlds while the changes swirled around them. Fifty years later I see the same attitudes. Some students have a true social conscience and a steady moral compass and many others are still more concerned just with their own sphere of existence. I hope that during the next 25 years college students become increasingly aware of the influence they can have in creating a better world for my great grandchildren. I look at the technology that was around in the 60’s and I am amazed at the progress made in the past 50 years. I can hardly begin to imagine what technological miracles will be created during the next 25. The only computing that we had on campus that I knew of was used for record keeping and test scoring. Punch cards were the order of the day to feed data into the giant processing banks that filled entire rooms. Today that level of processing and computing is available in the palm of my hand. Audio-visual equipment consisted of slide and film strip projectors, overhead projectors, and 16mm reel-to-reel film projectors. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary provided the soundtrack for our lives. We played our music on vinyl records. 8-track and cassette tapes were just starting to come into existence. CD and mp3 players were a distant dream, as was the concept of the internet and personal computing. Our telephones were tethered to an outlet on the wall. Most people had televisions where you had to get up and walk to the set to change the channel. We truly dwelt in a technological wilderness! I wonder what dreams will come to pass over the next quarter century? Being a guy I think about what kind of cars will you be driving. Will they still be powered by internal combustion engines? Will cars even still be the primary mode of transportation? Will the world still be in the grip of the oil companies as the primary source of power? Will renewable sources of energy that can save the environment finally become the order of the day? Will methods of food production create the ability to insure that no one goes hungry? What new ways to communicate will be developed….and will they actually result with communication occurring between people? Will we find and harness the forces that will one day enable us to reach beyond our own solar system to explore the far reaches of the galaxy? I also have what I consider to be more important questions. Will the next 25 years see an atmosphere of peace start to pervade our world, or will there continue to be wars and rumors of war as nations rise against nation and the love of many grows cold? Will we stop killing our fellow man in the name of religion? Will we be able to eliminate the life-draining scourge of poverty, or will the rapidly escalating gap between the rich and the poor continue? Will we recognize and reverse the damage we are doing to our planet as we place a priority on economics over ecology? Will we cease the politics of character assassination and begin to pursue policies that put the good of the entire country first? Will we learn to talk to each other rather than at each other? Will we learn to listen to understand? Will we follow the Golden Rule, or let gold rule? Will the phrase, "All men are created equal" become more than words on paper? Will the generations that follow mine will pass along a better world than they found? Will history look back and say my own generation made life better? I have a lot of questions. I pray the world in which you live is providing good answers. I pray I’m still around to see! Looking at where I’ve been, and where I am now, I see a future with great promise, and great peril. There are many in the world who want to do all they can to make things better for everybody. There are also those who seem to desire to increase their own power and influence through any means necessary regardless of the cost to the lives of others. Which side wins will depend to a large degree on men and women like those of you beginning your education at GCC. You can use these years to develop a vision of what you want your world to be. You can use these years to begin acquiring the knowledge and skills you need to make that vision a reality. Your life can make a difference. Embrace the opportunity. Relish the experience! A changed life creates a changed world. One last thing……Go Gauchos!!!
Terry Bloss more recent photo!
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From: Philip Smelser, Professor Emeritus, 1963 – 2009 Philosophy, Humanities and History of Religious Studies April 1, 2015 To the faculty of the year 2040: As I recall my time as a community college teacher a flood of feelings come to mind – and hopes, as well. My experience as a faculty member in the beginning years was, in many ways, a onetime experience. I was hired to help create something new; a new school of 250 students, a faculty of eight, a temporary facility, and a chance to create a curriculum for a variety of students who were attending school at this level for many reasons. It was a real challenge. Our classes were small – 30 or so, consisting of high school grads, adult students attending college for the first time, and continuing students whose education had been interrupted for various reasons. It was quite an mélange! The only thing that was the same for most of our students was an eagerness to experience something new. Out of this challenge emerged for me a lifetime of stimulating experiences. Hopefully this was true for the students as well. In a larger perspective, the first two-year college (Phoenix Junior College) began in the 1920’s in a single house in Phoenix. We must have done something right. From those humble beginnings have emerged thousands of community college graduates. The community college system has been a stimulating source of enjoyment for administrators, faculty and students since it’s beginnings. I hope this remains the same in the year 2040. The eagerness and excitement of learning should be available to all those who want to experience new ideas. Hopefully this has become a reality for those of you who are fortunate enough to be on the faculty of 2040. Philip Smelser, Professor Emeritus, 1963 – 2009 Philosophy, Humanities and History of Religious Studies
Bette Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no.3000.
Bette Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 3031. The shovels mark the place on the mall at Glendale Community College’s main campus where the 50th Anniversary Time Capsule will be placed and reopened in twenty-five years in 2040. Behind the shovels is the Dr. Joe Griego Counseling and Career Services Building.
Bette Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 3082. The capsule will be buried for 25 years and opened in 2040. Glendale Community College President Dr. Irene Kovala and Student Body President and Associated Student Government President Rico Moran moving the dirt for the future home of the Associated Student Government’s time capsule
Bette Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 3088. The time capsule will be buried for 25 years and opened in 2040. Glendale Community College President Dr. Irene Kovala and Student Body President and Associated Student Government President Rico Moran moving the dirt for the future home of the Associated Student Government’s time capsule as students look on.
Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 13328. Some of the items that are going into GCC's first ever time capsule. They are reflective of the current culture and daily life for the college factuality and students. One of the last items to go into the capsule will be the 2015 commencement program. Commencement Friday, May 15, 2015. This one of two tables of items to be buried in the time capsule.
Ed Sharpe/Glendale Daily Planet no. 13328. Suzanne Smelser and Amy Gonzales from GCC marketing and Public Relations show of one of the two tables of artifacts that represent the 'here and now' of Glendale Community College. This the second of two tables of items to be buried in the time capsule.
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