Gilbert Sun News: Community - March 2016

Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row

Mayor John Lewis poses with Dierks Bentley and Gilbert Councilman Eddie Cook at the groundbreaking. See page 12.

GPS parents concerned about junior high’s future

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

A recent Gilbert Public Schools’ public forum on how to accommodate Gilbert Classical Academy drew a packed house and prompted 53 attendees to speak.

At issue is the effect it will have on Mesquite and Gilbert junior highs, one of which may be closed or repurposed.

The GPS board did not vote on the matter, and plans to hold another forum in the fourth week of March before deciding on it.

The academy, which was ranked by U.S. News and World

see SCHOOLS page 8

St. Xavier University to offer nursing program

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

St. Xavier University in Gilbert is poised to offer an accredited nursing education program in the fall.

There’s no wait list and there are spots for 30 students.

“This is a single, historic moment where there’s actually capacity, and if you apply today, you’d have a good chance to get in,” said Vice Provost Maria-Claudia Tomany.

The university will add registered nursing (RN) and a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) to its offerings of undergraduate and graduate completion programs in business administration, education and teaching. It will also offer an online degree

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Ash Street extension to relieve traffic in the Heritage District

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

As roads go, Ash Street in Gilbert’s Heritage District is no major thoroughfare.

However, it plays a vital role.

Recently, Ash Street was extended by .17 miles from the Western Canal Trail North to Juniper Avenue. The new roadway allows for additional access to the Heritage District’s many restaurants, the parking garage and St. Xavier University.

“This may be a small project by the just sheer size, scale and cost, but it’s going to be an incredible project in the relief it’s going to bring to our traffic issues in the downtown,” said Town Manager Patrick Banger at a ribbon cutting for the extension.

Drivers from the northern direction of Gilbert Road may come via the signalized intersection at Juniper and

Guadalupe roads, go west and access the back of the Heritage District via the Ash Street extension, Banger said. This is “where the majority of parking is located, which removes that traffic from the front part of the district.”

In a short speech, Mayor John Lewis harkened to the parade that was organized to mark the paving of nearby Elliot Road in 1956, when the Town had a mere 1,000 population. The parade became the Gilbert Days celebration of today.

With the area much busier now, new roads are vital, the mayor said.

“And then we think about the future of this road. This is the future. Roads build

connectivity; roads bring people together. And we don’t know everything that this road will do. But it will do much,” he said.

The road extension took into consideration the existing Western Canal Trail, where pedestrian hawk crossings were installed. The Town also put in infrastructure for a future project where the parking garage intersects with Ash Street, which is bare land now.

“By opening the street, it’s got the attention of a lot more people wanting to develop there,” said Ryan Blair, an engineer with the Town. “Now that the infrastructure’s in and the road’s in, they can put their building right up to the 10-foot sidewalk.”

Leadership Class sets fundraiser for renovation project

Gilbert Leadership Class XXIV has partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of the East Valley in Gilbert to renovate the teen center. This project gives local teens a safe, fun place to go after school with more opportunities for skill development and personal growth.

To raise money for this project, Class XXIV is hosting a Bunco night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, at The Elegant Barn in Gilbert.

The suggested donation to play is $40. To support the Boys and Girls Club, RSVP to GLClass24@gmail.com. Donations may be made with cash, check or credit card. Limited seating available. Those who can’t make it, but would still like to donate should email GLClass24@gmail. com. For more information about Gilbert Leadership, visit www.gilbertleadership. com.

Blandford Homes is creating hometown charm, for real! Mulberry will feel like an enchanted land magically reminiscent of the early 1900s when homes sprung up to create quaint neighborhoods Blandford Homes presents an inspired line of home designs with significant character differences Imagine corner lots featuring homes with wraparound porches! This “New Old-Home Neighborhood” will be one-of-a-kind in Arizona

Mulberry will feature two beautiful main entrances with lush date palm and tree-lined boulevards leading to centrally located Mulberry Park, no more than a 5-minute walk from anyplace in the neighborhood You will enjoy the park’s impressive Georgian Colonial-style building complete with white trim and green shutters, along with the pool, sport courts, fitness, and playgrounds Just imagine the events, concerts, and celebrations you’ll attend within the huge pavillions and green playing fields of Mulberry Park In fact, these community amenities will be in place before the first homeowner moves in.

Mulberry is part of the top-rated Gilbert School District, and within a mile you’ll find major shopping, dining, a carwash and an even an IMAX theater A shopping area, “Mulberry Marketplace,” will include a Fry’s Marketplace designed in a Craftsman Bungalow style to tie into Mulberry’s architectural theme Mulberry residents won’t even have to leave the community to shop!

Plan for art on second Saturdays downtown

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

Gilbert is becoming known for a cluster of trendy restaurants in its downtown core. How about mixing it with some art? Gilbert photographer Elaine Kessler had just the idea.

Last November, Kessler and a small group of volunteers organized District Second Saturdays, a self-guided, site specific art tour through the downtown. Visual and performing artists, musicians, poets and similar others exhibited or performed their craft at several merchant venues.

St. Xavier University hosted a poetry reading, Evident Life Church displayed paintings, Gilbert Road Self Storage showcased a mural, Bergies Coffee Roast House hosted a musician and a painter, Flashback Antiques had a DJ spinning music, Art Intersection presented a photography demonstration and the Gilbert Historical Museum hosted a performance by folklorico dancers.

arts and showing that we like the arts in Gilbert,” she said. “But it’s a little hard. People don’t want to be doing anything until they see it successful. And you can’t have success without people doing stuff.”

Chamber President Kathy Tilque said that patience and time would work to the initiative’s advantage.

“It’s growing organically,” she said. “Whenever you have a project like that, that’s very grassroots, it usually has a slower, smaller start, and then it grows. A great example is the farmers market.”

Cultural aficionados had to walk—or bike— the 1 mile to appreciate the various offerings. At least 100 flocked to the sites, but only a few walked the whole way.

Kessler hopes for better attendance when the next District Second Saturdays takes place on March 12. She would also like people to experience it fully.

“The whole idea is just to get people to see another dimension to the downtown area—it’s not all just restaurants,” she said. “It’s an occasion to bring families out, to do something different.”

Unlike at an art walk, with District Second Saturdays, the road—and parking—is not shut down, artists are not set up along the sidewalk, nor are they geared to sell their wares, Kessler said, although they may sell their work if the occasion arises.

Although many readily agreed to participate, organizers found that some area merchants were leery. Kessler hopes to dispel the uncertainties by attending the monthly merchant meetings organized by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce and talking to business owners.

“It’s about the community and the

Gilbert resident Montgomery running for re-election

Maricopa County has gone down. In the past six years Montgomery has served as county attorney, he has amassed a record of accomplishments which includes: reorganizing the County Attorney’s office to increase efficiency and services to the people of Maricopa County; developed a community-based prosecution program within the office and provided support to non-profit organizations with charitable contributions.

Tilque said that the Gilbert Farmers Market attracted very few farmers and customers at the outset. Now, with all the aisles occupied, the market is thriving, she said.

“It’s really exciting, and there are so many people coming downtown for it.

I think it’s a great example of how we start something very small and organic and build on it and pretty soon it’s amazing,” she added.

Brian Bergeson, who owns Bergies Coffee Roast House, is similarly optimistic.

“I think it will grow, lots of those things have a tendency to grow over time as people become more and more acquainted with it,” he said, referring to the new event. “It did draw people in, but I would say it wasn’t big this time, but I think, as they continue to do it, it’ll grow.”

The initiative would also give the Town’s artists another opportunity to market themselves, Kessler said.

“Artists have to be driven by being a part of the community,” she said. “You have an opportunity to share what you have going on and the community can interact with you.”

Many agree that Gilbert should have more arts.

“I do believe that the various art events are great ways to share different cultures within our community, and we’re not nearly as heavy on the art side,” Tilque said. “We’ve been growing so fast, so I think it’s a great way to start introducing that into everybody’s life.”

For more information, visit www. facebook.com/DistrictSecondSaturdays

Bill Montgomery officially announced Feb. 15 his reelection bid for Maricopa County Attorney. Montgomery recently filed his initial campaign finance report for which he

has already received more than $200,000 in donations from supporters.

“I am humbled that so many Maricopa County residents support my candidacy to once again serve as their County Attorney,” said Montgomery, adding, “I pledge that, if I’m re-elected to serve the residents of Maricopa County again, I will continue my unwavering commitment to make Maricopa County a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

Since Montgomery became Maricopa County Attorney, overall crime in

Due to the increased efficiency for the Maricopa County Attorney’s office, MCAO has been given the distinction of being a High Performing Agency. Montgomery says he continues to work on three key issues:

• Public Safety: Ensuring the safety of all the citizens of Maricopa County

• Being Fair: Always striving to be evenhanded, in all professional matters

• Working with others: Never forgetting he is part of a larger team, with the same goals.

As county attorney, Montgomery has focused on fighting crime and honoring the rights of crime victims by making sure violent and repeat criminals go to prison and stay there. He has also worked with local high schools to encourage young people to be drug- and alcohol-free and his office has proactively tackled the increasing problem of identity theft through education efforts, community shred-a-thons and tough prosecutions.

“I would be honored to be given the chance to continue serving the citizens of Maricopa County for the next four years,” Montgomery added.

Contractor arrested on fraud charges

BY TIERRA BEASLEY

Juan Esteban Ordonez, 48, was arrested Thursday, Jan. 21, by the Gilbert Police Department when a member of the public recognized his name from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors’ (ROC) Most Wanted Unlicensed Entity List merely one day after Ordonez’ was added to it.

The ROC added Ordonez to the Most Wanted Unlicensed Entity List on Wednesday, Jan. 20, on the basis of an arrest warrant he received for fraudulent schemes and theft.

The Gilbert Police Department apprehended Ordonez around 4 p.m. at his place of employment, according to Sgt. Jesse Sanger, a spokesman for GPD, following a call made by a homeowner who said Ordonez visited her home earlier that day as an insurance adjuster making an insurance claim.

Prior to his arrest, the ROC had received numerous complaints about Ordonez’s poor work and abandonment while under the employment of licensed contractors at Expert Contracting LLC.

These complaints led to an investigation by the ROC where it was discovered in four instances, dating from June 2013 to February 2014, Ordonez had accepted payments totaling $18,668.40 from homeowners but never began work at the residences.

Ordonez’s contracting license was revoked after the ROC findings were submitted to the Maricopa County’s Attorney’s Office for further review.

An arrest warrant was then issued November 2015 on one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, a class 2 felony, and two counts of theft, class 3 and 4 felonies.

According to AZROC.gov, Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 32, Chapter 10 requires a contractor be licensed through the Registrar of Contractors (ROC) to legally perform construction or home repair and remodeling jobs having total project cost above $1,000 or requiring a building permit. Unlicensed contractors can endanger the health, safety and welfare of the public.

Leading Edge Academy wins fifth straight title

The Leading Edge Academy-Gilbert Early College (LEA) varsity girls basketball team won the Canyon Athletic Association state basketball championship for the fifth consecutive year.

This year’s team capped a 34-1 season with a 48-43 victory over Skyline Prep High School at the Talking Stick Resort Arena. This season’s record brings the Lady Spartans to an impressive 139-9 during their five-year championship run.

The Lady Spartans boasted wins this season over every top CAA team. In addition, they defeated the No. 1 team in the California (CIF) Division IV San Diego Section State Tournament, Grossmont High School, and the CIF San Diego Division V three and four seeds, Clairmont High School and Maranatha Christian. This year’s team was led by several sophomores, including Prima Chellis who was named CAA Tournament MVP, as well as guard Halle Price and center Ariana Clavell. After being down by two at halftime, the Lady Spartans battled back to take the lead behind Chellis and Clavell. Chellis led the team with 24 points while Clavell, who will be traveling to Puerto Rico next month to try out for their U17 National Team, chipped in with 10.

Head coach Erik Gray said he was

“extremely proud” of the team’s effort, especially defensively. “In both the championship and semifinal games, we were down at half, something we hadn’t faced all season. To see the girls buckle down and get stops when we needed them most was a tribute to their character and determination.”

Halle Price, sophomore Emily Broos, and senior Analisa Leon were the leaders on the defensive end as each got key steals and rebounds in the second half, Gray said. “I am so proud of all of the girls, they have worked extremely hard to get this title. It is definitely well-deserved.”

Leon said being a leader on the court this year “prepared me to be a leader in life.” “Being able to work with different personalities and bring out the best in them was a good experience, Leon said. “Winning another state championship with my team was a great way to end my senior year.”

Leading Edge captured a CAA state title for the final time as next year the Lady Spartans will move to the 2A Conference in the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

Leading Edge Academy Gilbert Early College is located at 717 W. Ray Road, in Gilbert. For information, visit www. leadingedgeacademy.com.

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Report as the No. 10 school in the nation and No. 3 in Arizona in 2015, is in temporary digs on Greenfield Road. Among other shortcomings, it also does not have athletic fields, an auditorium or a music room.

The GPS board has a goal to find a permanent location for the 500-student school, district spokeswoman Irene Mahoney-Paige said.

It considered 16 options and whittled it down to three possible scenarios:

• Moving Gilbert Classical Academy to Mesquite Junior High and moving the school’s 655 students to Gilbert Junior High to be combined

• Moving Gilbert Classical Academy to Gilbert Junior High and moving the school’s 502 students to Mesquite Junior High to be combined

• Making Mesquite Junior High a school within a school.

Each of the two junior schools have a capacity to accommodate more than 1,000 students, Mahoney-Paige said.

Although there were no “angry outbursts” during the more than two-hour long meeting, people came with a strong message and were well-

organized, Mahoney-Paige said.

“Whether they were for or against, they represented themselves well,” she said.

Among the parents going to be affected is Kim Galloway, a mother of six. Four of her children have gone through Gilbert Junior High, her fifth is a seventh grader there and her sixth is grader at Houston Elementary, which feeds to Gilbert Junior High.

“We are really mad about it,” Galloway said. “This is our school. It is a part of our community, and closing it would change the landscape of our neighborhood.

Gilbert Junior High is located in North Gilbert east of Gilbert Road in an aging community with fewer young families moving in, according to the district.

In addition, young families that live within the Gilbert Junior High boundaries may choose to go to a different junior high school Arizona’s open enrollment law.

“And, these small neighborhood streets can’t support the traffic that would come through if a high school, with teen drivers, took over the campus,” she said.

Mesquite Junior High, located south of Elliot Road and west of Gilbert Road, also consists of aged out populations, although it’s not as old as where Gilbert Junior High is located, Mahoneysaid.

Lisa Nicita, a mother of a fourth grader, a first grader and a kindergartener, lives two doors down from Gilbert Junior High. She doesn’t agree that the enrollment numbers are on the wane.

“I cannot support the closure of any junior high, be it Mesquite or Gilbert Junior,” she said. “Enrollment is projected to grow across the district at the junior high level, which would soon create crowding at other campuses.

“A district should not contract in a time of growth. It’s a dangerous precedent to reduce instructional square footage, period, let along during a time of growth,” she said.

Galloway suggests that the district gives up its administration buildings on Gilbert Road to the academy and move to the academy’s current accommodation behind Greenfield Elementary School. “That would be the best thing to do,” she said.

The district would like parents, teachers and administrators to have another opportunity to speak on the matter.

“The board was pleased with last night’s forum. From a district standpoint, anytime you make a change like this, it’s a big decision,” Mahoney-Paige said. “They realize this is a tough decision and one that lies on their shoulders to make.”

BY NOAH FRIEDMAN

GPS work session covers athletics, bonds Ex-homeowner arrested on arson charges

The Gilbert School District is the only one in the state of Arizona that requires a minimum “C” grade point average for student athletes to participate in sports in both junior and high school.

This, along with many other topics, was discussed at a recent work-study meeting at the Gilbert Public Schools office.

The Board of Governors, headed by Superintendent Christina M. Kishimoto, ran the three-and-a-half-hour special meeting. The agenda was broken up into four separate presentations: Athletics Program Review, Community Education Review, Global Academy Program Review and Bond Issuance Options.

The athletics committee presented first and spoke about how student-athletes should have an equal chance to compete within the district. Through the findings of the committee, the agenda recommended that the board “Create[s] a process that allows for the disaggregation of information on student-athletes from Infinite Campus to ensure that all students have equal access to athletic programs.”

Infinite Campus is a data-based source for tracking the likes of attendance among students to the grades they receive in each class. The data for eligibility is kept on site, but Infinite Campus cannot keep track of

whether or not an athlete is eligible based on his or her cumulative grade point average.

GPS’ Director of Athletics Stephen McDowell said he wants athletics to become a more positive influence in the lives of the pupils who participate in athletics.

In the question- and-answer portion of the presentation, Board Member Jill Humpherys asked what some of the changes had been since the athletics department had last met with the Arizona Interscholastic Association. Humpherys said that each athlete must pay $100 to compete in GPS athletics.

The Community Education and Global Academy committees presentations followed and were led by Alex Nardone, the chief of staff and committee chairman.

The Community Education Review’s purpose was “[t]o make local schools the educational, social and recreational centers of neighborhood communities and to involve both children and adults in the process of lifelong learning.”

The Global Academy initiative strived “[t]o review the purpose, history, program design, location, student demographics, reporting structure, funding sources, curriculum model and policy implications pertaining to the Global Academy.”

Finally, the Bond Issuance Options took its turn to convey what the school district

should do in terms of spending bonds that have been saved.

“Our district passed a bond election in November and ultimately, we will be issuing $98 million worth of bonds to fund three particular needs of the district,” said GPS CFO Tom Wohlleber. “The bonds will be issued over a period of about 10 years in three different phases.”

In his presentation, Wohlleber said the bond money would go toward repairing school buses, addressing maintenance in the school’s facilities, and purchasing technology for the students and staff.

Humpherys said after the work-study that she appreciated the growth of the athletics department within the school district, but hoped that Arizona would recognize the opportunities that athletics present to the students.

“I think the biggest thing I took out of tonight was just how big our athletics programs are and what a benefit they are to students and how we can help them to have those experiences,” Humpherys said. “But the district only pays a little over 17 percent of the cost associated with those athletics programs...I would like to see [that] the state is more generous in future years [so] that we can cut that participation fee so more students can do athletics.”

Patrick Daniel Barnes was arrested in late January on charges of arson, according to the Gilbert Police Department. The Gilbert Fire and Police departments responded to a call of a house fire at 1090 S. 131st St. at 4 a.m. Jan. 25. The home was vacant and for sale. Gilbert fire investigators determined the fire to be suspicious in nature and began an arson investigation. Barnes, 48, was arrested and booked into jail. No other information was available.

Dignity Health Comprehensive Cancer Clinics open

Dignity Health, in partnership with Ironwood Cancer & Research Centers, has launched two Comprehensive Cancer Clinics near the campuses of its Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert medical centers to assist patients with coordinated treatment decisions and navigation of care options.

The clinics offer a multidisciplinary team of physicians to meet with the patient in a single visit to help develop a comprehensive treatment plan quickly and conveniently. The clinics will also

provide newly diagnosed patients with a personal nurse navigator to help them with decision-making, appointments and other personalized services.

The Dignity Health Comprehensive Cancer Clinics also will offer access to therapists, social workers, financial consultants, genetic counselors, nutrition experts, lymphedema therapists, physical therapists and occupational therapists.

Clinic leaders say the overriding goals of the new clinics are to provide individualized treatment plans, assist with navigation of

an often complicated set of treatment options, and reduce stress for patients and their families.

“When a person is diagnosed with cancer, they need as much attention and support as possible and that is what these clinics will provide,” said Tim Bricker, president and CEO of Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert medical centers. “Patients can count on the staff to help guide them through their entire journey; coordinating appointments, communicating with doctors and helping to arrange other services that

might be needed.”

The Comprehensive Cancer Clinics are located across from the hospital campuses at 685 S. Dobson Rd., in Chandler and 3686 S. Rome St. in Gilbert. They are being launched in partnership with Ironwood Cancer & Research Centers, which has a strong reputation in the East Valley with more than 40 board-certified medical oncologists and radiation oncologists. The clinics will be staffed by Ironwood’s radiation and medical oncologists, as well as by a number of community surgeons who specialize in various cancer types. The first clinics to open will focus on breast, lung, and esophageal cancers, with others to follow in the future.

Whiskey Row breaks ground in Heritage District

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI

Country star Dierks Bentley returned home to the Valley on Feb. 2 to break ground on his third Whiskey Row restaurant, this time in Gilbert’s Heritage District.

Bentley was joined by Mayor John Lewis; David Sellers, LGE Design Build president; Swen Anderson, LGE Design Build vice president of business development; and Ryan Hibbert, Riot Hospitality Group CEO.

Bentley, who was in town for the Waste Management Phoenix Open Birds Nest concert series, said he is excited about the winter opening of the 8,000-square-foot restaurant.

“This concept came to me [from Riot Hospitality Group] and I was like, ‘Gosh this is great,’” Bentley said. “I really do love country music and there are so many folks out there who do love country music but don’t have a place to go.”

One of those “folks” is his mother, whom, he said, frequents the Scottsdale location. He joked that his mom has good intentions of paying for her meals, but management at the restaurant insist on comping her bill.

LGE Design Build is constructing the 8,724-square-feet restaurant at

to the town for the cost of the building as well as the land.

323 N. Gilbert Rd., that will feature a 4,732-square-foot patio, a large dance floor for country line dancing, outdoor area for games such as cornhole and ping pong and large interior space to host birthday and bachelorette parties. The entry and large exterior windows will face Gilbert Road, fostering connectivity to the lively downtown atmosphere.

“We are creating a restaurant authentic to Gilbert that will add more energy in the already bustling downtown area and provide entertainment and food experiences targeted for East Valley residents,” Sellers said in a prepared statement.

Hibbert added that the restaurant is designed with families in mind.

“The restaurant will include large family tables and areas for families and friends to spend time together,” he said.

Artie Vigil, the restaurant’s architect, boasted that Whiskey Row will be built with reclaimed wood, steel and high ceilings to reflect the architecture in

Gilbert.

Besides games and concerts, Whiskey Row will offer American gastropub-type food.

“It’ll be a great place to live,” Bentley said. “I look forward to hanging out here and being a part of Whiskey Row” he said.

completion program for registered nurses.

The private, Catholic university that opened in Downtown Gilbert last year is anchored by the Chicago-based St. Xavier University, a 170-year-old institution founded by the Sisters of Mercy.

The Irish religious community’s presence in the Valley was first felt in 1895, when the Catholic missionaries set up St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix.

“Nursing has been one of the pillars of the college; it began in 1934, and was one of the first in Illinois,” said Associate Provost Rick Venneri. “Their focus is women and children, so it made sense that their professional programs were nursing and teaching education.”

Originally a women’s college, St. Xavier became coeducational in the 1960s and went on to found studies in business, liberal arts and the sciences, among others. Its student body counts about 4,500.

“The thing that is distinguishing about it is, for a small university, we have the highest accreditation you can get in the critical fields,” Venneri said.

St. Xavier has been recognized by the National League for Nursing as a National Center for Excellence (one of eight in the country).

The university campus is Gilbert’s first institute of higher learning. The town had identified education in health care and human services as the two areas that would best serve the region, which led them to St. Xavier.

With a municipal bond, Gilbert designed and constructed the building on land it owns. The university makes lease payments

Rather than renovating an existing building to fit the university’s programs, Gilbert presented an uncommon opportunity.

“We worked with the town to build it around the way we offer our academic programs around our mission,” Tomany said. “It’s once in a lifetime that you get to build the campus of your dreams rather than retrofit a building that you have to move into.”

The four-story, 87,000-square-foot building sits on the northwest corner of Vaughn Avenue and Ash Street in the downtown’s Heritage District. It features brick, glass and metal panels, a soaring entrance and a rooftop terrace.

The nursing program is located on a sprawling, 25,000-square-foot space on the third floor. It depicts a hospital environment with corridors, a nursing station, six examination rooms and patient rooms with beds that can be wheeled.

Instead of human patients, each room contains a life-sized mannequin that can be simulated to have a beating pulse and blood drawn from its veins. At the touch of a button, the mannequins can wheeze, throw up, go into labor and deliver a baby and simulate many other human functions.

“You can simulate the mom to have the baby in five minutes or many hours,” said Lisa Aguilar, senior enrollment specialist, adding that it provides a chance to experience the uncertainties of a birthing environment. “It’s not only fine and dandy and perfect, there are different scenarios that can happen, too.”

Cameras record each lesson so that

the scenario could be reviewed for improvement and learning. The rooms also contain the various medical instruments and fixtures that would be available in a hospital.

“We try to prepare them for that real life experience as much as possible,” Tomany said. “Obviously, it’s not going to be the same as the first day on the actual job as an actual person, but we’re bringing it as close as possible.”

Students may also avail of many spaces for solitary or buddy style studying and state-of-the-art classrooms with configurable rooms, writable walls, and other elements of thoughtful design that accommodate various styles of teaching.

Thomani said the core idea is to decentralize the classroom and get away from the traditional lesson delivery style of “park and bark,” where the professor “parks” in front of the class at a whiteboard and “barks” the lesson and leaves.

“You can move the instructor’s station,

you can write on any of the four walls, there isn’t a front and back of the class, the professor can be anywhere, everybody has space, the opposing walls can be used for writing arguments pro and against,” she said. “This offers a lot of active learning possibilities.”

The university has contracted with Maricopa Integrated Health System and Dignity Health to place its students for the clinical experience.

Thomani said that establishing St. Xavier University’s one and only branch campus has been a singular collaboration with the town.

The institution’s research indicated that the East Valley has an aging nurse population with the average nurse’s age at 48 years and that opportunities exist for nursing and its many related medical occupations.

“There are jobs, and there are needs that go unmet,” Thomani said. “It’s an opportunity to make history here.”