Ancient tradition helps usher in the future

A spiritual leader who represents an ancient Indian culture blessed a high-tech building Sunday that may represent the future of education.

Leroy Spotted Eagle, dressed in traditional attire of his Southern Paiute Tribe and surrounded by the latest in modern computer equipment, lit a cedar twig during an open house for the new $6 million Community College of Southern Nevada Technology Center at Summerlin on the campus of Palo Verde High School.

"This incense will go to every part of this building and travel to the creator," said Spotted Eagle, flanked by a stage filled with dignitaries that included Gov. Bob Miller, his wife Sandy and several university regents, among others.

The skies outside the building were dark as rain fell on various parts of Las Vegas Valley. But rain in the desert is a positive sign for the Paiute Indians.

"When I left my house this morning on the reservation on Mt. Charleston, I looked to the west and saw clouds filled with rain," he told an audience of several hundred Summerlin residents who turned out for the first of four open houses scheduled over the next several days. "The creator is blessing us with rain."

Spotted Eagle extended his blessing to all the people in the building, "and to all these machines."

The spiritual leader is a cable splicer for Sprint.

He represents a striking contrast between the past and the future, and many of those who spoke during Sunday's ceremony pointed out that the high-tech center is the future of education as funding becomes increasingly tight.

"Our children are our future, the future is our children," said University Regent Mark Alden. "Tax money is drying up. We have to find ways of (doing things for less money) and maintaining quality -- this building will do that."

State Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, who got the initial funding for the high-tech center, called Sunday's event an historic occasion.

"This is the way of the future," he said. "This is a vision of working smarter with the money we have."

The 33,000-square-foot mini-campus for CCSN was built on a high school campus so both college and high school students can take advantage of the facilities.

Alden said it is now time for colleges, high schools and elementary schools to cooperate in order to succeed.

"Education is the only way this planet will survive," he said.

Clark County School District Superintendent Brian Cram, who put three high school campuses on CCSN college campuses, says placing college campuses at high schools is a significant change in the way schools will function in the future.

"Share space and drive down costs," he said. "Having separate institutions makes no sense."

Cram said at some point the public "will rise up and say it's time for all government entities to work together."

"It seems so simple that it's hard to believe this is the first one," Gov. Miller said has he praised CCSN President Richard Moore for coming up with the idea for the shared facilities.

Moore said the idea was inspired by a comment made by Miller's wife, Sandy, when she was at the CCSN Cheyenne campus using a computer there to develop a website for the governor's mansion.

She mentioned to Moore that it was a shame that K-12 students did not have access to CCSN's computer facilities.

Moore put a plan together and took it to Miller, who threw his support behind it.

The heart of the technology center, the central part of the building which houses 70 computer stations, was named in honor of the Millers in recognition of their contribution.

"Sand and I are both honored and humbled to have it named after us," Miller said. "Dr. Moore dreamed up the idea. He is one of the most creative thinkers I know, and so is Dr. Cram."

There was plenty of complimenting to go around at Sunday's ceremony.

Accolades went to the Clark County School Board, the University Board of Regents, politicians and others who had a role in creating what is described as the first center of its kind in the country.

Alie J. Stops, vice president of admission and records for CCSN, said there will be 2,000 students on the new campus when classes begin Sept. 8.

High school students, who began classes last week, are already using the facility, which has a capacity for 4,000.

Stops said it is possible for a community college student to get an associate's degree at the Summerlin campus without ever going to another campus, thanks to various interactive technologies available at the new campus.

"We offer all the basic courses here and we have a tenured, seasoned faculty," Stops said.

There are 10 full-time faculty members and several part-time instructors.

A second center, based upon the design of the one at Palo Verde High School, will open at Western High School in the spring. Two others are on the drawing board and waiting for funding by the Legislature.

A similar facility is planned for Pahrump and another at a Carson City high school.

"There is no reason we can't have them everywhere," Cram said.

Christine Chairsell, CCSN provost at the Charleston campus, said the cooperative facility solves lots of problems.

"CCSN doesn't have to build a whole new campus," she noted.

Other open houses at the new facility are planned for Monday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

High school freshman Jessica Moskowitz, 14, is excited about the new building.

"It's really nice, I like it," she said.

Her family has four computers at home and three dedicated lines, and so she is no stranger to the technology.

Moskowitz, who was a Clark County School District student ambassador to Australia for three weeks this summer, is taking a computer science class at the new high-tech center.

The new building features a computer interactive learning center and four computer labs with 200 computers, a student center and a Boys and Girls Club youth center as well as faculty and administrative offices.

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