Local athletes, officials sound off on San Benito campus
Gavilan College trustees held a joint meeting on the future San
Benito campus Tuesday, in which college officials heard from a
larger segment of the community than the handful who have been
attending such meetings.
Local athletes, officials sound off on San Benito campus
Gavilan College trustees held a joint meeting on the future San Benito campus Tuesday, in which college officials heard from a larger segment of the community than the handful who have been attending such meetings.
Trustees had asked members of local government agencies to attend, including those on the Board of Supervisors, Hollister City Council, and both city and county planning commissioners.
This meeting was more harmonious than earlier meetings, as consensus grows around the need for a full campus with athletic fields.
“It was a very positive dialogue,” said Gavilan spokeswoman Jan Bernstein Chargin. “A wide variety of perspectives were represented.”
One of those perspectives came from a student athlete who must commute from Hollister to Gilroy to participate in athletic programs.
“I’m a single mom and I must commute long distances to go to college and compete,” said Tiffany McIntosh. “I definitely hope the board will stand firm on a full campus.”
Ron Hannon, Gavilan’s athletic director, spoke next and pointed out that this year 37 percent of Gavilan’s athletes live in Hollister, and are making the same commute as Tiffany.
Surprisingly, the “Smart Growth” group that has called for a smaller campus in order that it be built downtown did not beat the drum for dumping the athletic field component of the plan – except once. They did, however, reiterate that building as close to Hollister as possible would be the best choice. They envision a reinvigorated downtown, one teeming with students as they take lunch breaks, shop or meet with other students at cafes.
Many also hope the college will consider a joint venture with the county and the city of Hollister to build a new library. Some officials said they hope the new campus will be full-service, with computer rooms and reading rooms for the entire community to use.
“I think we need to think outside the box when it comes to libraries these days,” said Richard Place, a candidate for supervisor, District 3.
“I support the concept of a full campus,” said Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz. “I look at that as a tool for underprivileged families. I think we’re required to think outside the box for those amenities.”
Gavilan president Steve Kinsella said that the college has already looked at 15 parcels of land in the Hollister area. Trustee Kent Child asked citizens to envision the city of Hollister as four quadrants, with the center at Fourth and San Benito streets, instead of concentrating on specific parcels. He said it was important to consider what the impact would be in locating the campus in each of these quadrants.
The meeting didn’t end without someone throwing up the athletic field issue, once again. Rancher Joe Morris suggested that the fields could be located far away from the main campus. But instructor Hannon then said it is more convenient to have P.E. facilities on campus since students need to get to those classes in a 10-minute time period. Trustee Laura Perry confirmed this, remembering her own days at Gavilan College.
