Chaparral 2012-2013: CSEA Connection

CSEA Connection

By Hoover Zariani
CSEA President

There has recently been quite a bit of conversation focusing on the issue of “healing” on this campus.  This conversation started at a Team A Meeting, which is the committee that deals with the college’s master planning (amongst other things).

This issue was raised as a result of conference attendance by several members of the committee (mainly Michael Ritterbrown) on how another community college actually picked a theme for their school year and infused that theme in everything they did for the year.

The information was extremely interesting and got most committee members thinking.  If GCC were to pursue such an idea of an annual theme, the theme of “healing” resonated with many participants.

Over the last several years and continuing to today, there have been various causes of friction amongst different campus constituencies: staff, faculty, the board, the community, and every combination thereof.  Regardless of the reasons for this friction, it is something that has separated us as a community of people involved in helping students achieve.  It is this friction and hurt that needs healing.

Healing is very important.  It makes us whole again, it restores our true and genuine self, and it gives us confidence that we can survive.  However, healing doesn’t simply just…happen!  Certain conditions and a certain environment must exist to allow healing to take place.

A wound cannot heal if the conditions that created it still exist.  We must find a commonplace of trust amongst all constituents so that we are not pitted against each other and we deal with each other fairly.  We cannot give to one group while taking from another.  Our resources are limited, and we must figure out how to share them in a balanced way.

A wound does not heal itself.  It takes a caring hand to make sure the wound is properly medicated and is on its way to healing.  The wound needs changing and constant attention by a caretaker.  Our leaders need to be the caretakers of this campus and help us in this healing process.

A wound cannot be forced to heal.  It takes time.  We must recognize that even though we are all working hard to try to heal these wounds, it will take a lot of time and energy.  This means that we all work on it together in order to get there.

I realize a lot of this may sound idealistic and unrealistic, but it is not.  I don’t think anyone is against healing.  I really believe there is a path to healing, but it must be deliberate and intentional.  I hope we will all work together to get there.  I have invested 22 years in GCC, and I know many of us have.  I don’t think we want our investment to fail.  I anxiously await to see what each of us put forth to accomplish this goal.

 Healing takes courage and we all have courage.
even if we have to dig a little to find it.

(Tori Amos)

Visit us on the web: www.glendale.edu/csea

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