As businesses and communitymembers throughout the commu-nity, region and state continue to

be impacted by the economic climate,College of the Canyons has increased itsefforts to assist in the movement towardstatewide economic recovery.

“Economic development is a funda-mental mission of the CaliforniaCommunity College system, and it’s onewe take seriously at College of theCanyons,” Chancellor Dr. Dianne VanHook said. “Virtually every office anddepartment on campus operates with aneye toward economic recovery and a mis-sion to use the college’s vast resourcesand reputation for educational excellenceto help bring about prolonged economicgrowth throughout the state.”

Always on the cutting edge of devel-oping curriculum to address the needsand trends associated with emerging andhigh-demand areas of employment, thecollege is developing a series of innova-

tive academic programs with an empha-sis on using “green” technology.

Expected to open in late 2010, theApplied Technology Education Center(ATEC) at the Canyon Country campuswill provide the facility space needed tobegin introducing such programs.

Programs under development thatcould eventually move into the new cen-ter include: construction managementtechnology with an emphasis on “green”construction; plumbing technology; elec-trical and electronics technology; andalternative energy management, includ-ing solar panel installation and mainte-nance training and wind energy systems.

Non-ProfitOrganizationUS Postage

PAIDSanta Clarita

CA91355

Permit 56

College of the Canyons26455 Rockwell Canyon RoadSanta Clarita, CA 91355

Postal Customer

E C R W S SFor many residents of the Santa Clarita Valley, College of theCanyons is so visible, so important and such a vibrant partof the community that it is hard to imagine a time when it

didn’t exist. But prior to 1969, that was indeed the case.Local voters actually approved creation of the college in

1967. The college officially opened in temporary quarters atWilliam S. Hart High School in Newhall on Sept. 22, 1969.

If we flash back to that time, we can easily see that 1969 wasa year of profound change – both in the Santa Clarita Valley andthroughout the country. It is arguable that the events thatoccurred that year make it one of the most memorable of the 20thCentury. For those who either have forgotten those events orwere born after that momentous year, here are some examples:

• Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the firstSee 40TH ANNIVERSARY on Page 3

Hey, Man, We’re 40!Isn’t That groovy?

See RECOVERY on Page 2

S A N TA C L A R I TA C O m m U N I T y C O L L E G E D I S T R I C T C E L E b R AT I N G 4 0 y E A R S O F E x C E L L E N C E

FOCUS ON RETRAINING, RECOvERy

Tom Lee and LouGarasi (right), co-

chairs of the UniversityCenter capital cam-paign, address localdignitaries, college

officials and others (farright) during a ribbon-cutting ceremony forthe Dr. Dianne G. Van

Hook University Center(above) on Oct. 17.

The Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook Univer-sity Center is now open, offeringresidents educational opportunities

one could only imagine a few short yearsago – and promisingnearly limitless op-tions in the future.

The new build-ing that commandsthe highest groundat College of theCanyons and nowbears the name ofthe college’s long-time chancellor andpresident alreadyoffers a wide vari-ety of upper-division degree, credentialand certificate programs – and the oppor-tunity to enroll in these programs withoutleaving the Santa Clarita Valley.

The massive, 110,000-square-footSee UNIVERSITY CENTER on Page 5

ChRISTmAS IN IRELANDTraditional Irish ensemble Danu to

present holiday show Dec. 4.PAGE 4

FALL 2009

College Bolsters Economic Recovery, Retraining Efforts

Ceremonial Ribbon Cut forFacility Offering Bachelor’s,Master’s & Doctoral Degrees

University Center: A Dream Come True

REGISTER FOR SPRING!Registration begins Jan. 4; classesbegin Feb. 8. Schedules available

now at www.canyons.edu.

RELATED

• The University Centeris the culmination ofmany people’s efforts,but it was one woman’svision and persistencethat ultimately made ithappen. Page 5

• Available degreeprograms. Page 5

• College helps students and community membersget training, explore careers, find jobs. Page 6• New program nurtures young entrepreneurs. Page 6

www.canyons.edu

Students participate in the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour, which made a stop at College of theCanyons on Oct. 27. The event drew nearly 300 participants and was hosted by the SmallBusiness Development Center, which offers young people age 14 to 27 the benefits of its YoungEntrepreneurs Program. The program provides young people with opportunities to explore theirbudding business aspirations. SEE PagE 6

RELATED

2 COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS BREAKING NEWS • FALL 2009

Breaking News is published by the College of the Canyons Public Information Office. Its purpose isto inform the community about programs, events, issues and accomplishments of the Santa ClaritaValley’s community college. It is distributed to residences, post office boxes and businesses in the 367-square-mile Santa Clarita Community College District. Advertising is not accepted.

Mail: College of the CanyonsPublic Information Office26455 Rockwell Canyon RoadSanta Clarita, CA 91355Email: pio@canyons.edu

A b O U T b R E A K I N G N E W S

College of the Canyons has opened its newInstitute for Culinary Education (I-CuE) atthe Westfield Valencia Town Center, pro-

viding an ideal location and professional qualitykitchen and dining facility for the college to trainits culinary arts students.

“I haven’t stopped smiling for the last twomonths,” said Cindy Schwanke, culinary artsinstructor. “In the culinary world, you’re only asgood as your ingredients, and with the opening ofthis facility the college’s culinary arts departmentfinally has its key ingredient.”

The College of the Canyons I-CuE – locatedat 23400 Town Center Drive in Valencia TownCenter – can now accommodate a greater numberof students by offering classes throughout the dayand on weekends, while putting the college in abetter position to offer a wider range of culinaryclasses.

In addition, a new class format adopted by theculinary arts department offers short-termsequential courses that will allow students tocomplete a more classes each semester and reachtheir educational goals faster.

“Someone once asked Wolfgang Puck, ‘What

is the best part of your work?’ ” College of theCanyons Chancellor Dr. Dianne Van Hookrecalled during ribbon-cutting ceremonies at thenew facility in August. “He answered, ‘Theopportunity to work in the kitchen every singleday.’

“Cutting this ribbon symbolizes the openingof a physical door that provides new opportuni-ty,” Dr. Van Hook said. “With the opening of theCollege of the Canyons I-CuE, hopefully we havecreated a chance for the next Wolfgang Puck towork in the kitchen every day, hone his or herskills, and become the next great chef.”

For community members interested in broad-ening their kitchen skills in the college’s newkitchen, a selection of specialty courses will beoffered during the spring 2010 semester. Potentialtopics including “Healthy Cooking for Two,”“Southwest Cooking,” “Quick Breads and Rolls”and “Barbecue Grilling.”

“Such courses will provide a chance for thecommunity to get involved with the culinary artsdepartment and explore all that this wonderfulfacility has to offer,” said Schwanke. “That’s partof what makes it such a special place.”

I-CuE: a Key Ingredient to Culinary Success

Culinary arts instructors Daniel Otto and Cindy Schwanke demonstrate cake deco-rating at the college’s new Institute for Culinary Education at Valencia Town Center.

Western Filter Creates EndowmentThe COC Foundation has received a donation of more than$13,000 from Western Filter, a division of Donaldson Co.,which, when combined with matching funds from theFoundation for California Community Colleges (FCCC), willestablish a permanent scholarship endowment for studentspursuing careers in manufacturing technology. The donationis the college’s first gift to receive a 50 percent donationmatch from the FCCC Endowment, which was established in2008 with a $50 million commitment from The Bernard OsherFoundation. With a matched commitment of more than$6,000, the newly formed $20,000 Donaldson Western FilterJoe Novotny Scholarship Endowment –named in memory ofWestern Filter’s former general manager – will provide annu-al $1,000 scholarships to manufacturing technology students.For more information about the California CommunityCollege Endowment Fund and making donations, contactMurray Wood at (661) 362-3433.

College Offers New Honors ProgramCollege of the Canyons’ High Intensity Transfer andEnrichment (HITE) program has transitioned into the COCHonors Program, offering students an opportunity to enrollin honors courses and enhance their reading, writing, criti-cal-thinking and research skills. Honors classes strive torecognize academic excellence, provide transfer informa-tion, and increase the number of students transferring tofour-year universities. Community service, scholarships, andenrichment activities are available to students who joinAlpha Gamma Sigma or Phi Theta Kappa. The TransferAlliance Program (TAP) will benefit honors students trans-ferring to UCLA. In addition, transfer alliance agreementsexist with Pomona College, Brandman University, UCRiverside, UC Santa Cruz, and others. For information,send an email to Dr. Patty Robinson, dean of social sci-ences and business, at patty.robinson@canyons.edu.

Can You Use a Free Laptop Computer?College of the Canyons is offering a chance for you to win afree laptop computer as part of its “40 Ways to Change YourLife” promotion, which celebrates the college’s 40th anniver-sary. The college has been releasing fun, 40-second videossince August that examine different ways people canchange their lives at COC. Forty different videos are beingreleased each week of the 2009-10 academic year –excluding the two weeks the campus is closed in December– culminating during finals week in May 2010. Each video isposted only on the college’s Facebook page, so anyonehoping for a chance at the laptop will have to sign up for afree account. A Twitter account is also needed, becauseduring each video a “Twitter Word of the Week” appears.The first person who tweets that word to the COC Twitteraccount – www.twitter.com/canyons – wins a COC 40thanniversary flash drive and is entered into a drawing at theend of 40 weeks for the laptop, provided by NE Systemsand the COC Foundation. Videos are posted on a randomday each week. “Fans” of the COC Facebook page get aninside scoop on when it will be posted.

Holiday arts & Crafts Fair Slated Dec. 5-6College of the Canyons will hold its 20th Annual Holiday Artsand Crafts Fair the weekend of Dec. 5 and 6. The event willbe held in Parking Lot 8, near Cougar Stadium, from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. Saturday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Dozens ofvendors will offer a variety of crafts and unique holiday gifts.Parking is free. The annual event is a fundraiser for COC’sClassified Senate; half of the proceeds will be donated to theSCV Domestic Violence Center. For information, or to bookvendor space, contact Seher Awan at (661) 362-3015.

NEWS IN BRIEF

“Adding the Applied Technology Education Centerto the Canyon Country campus expands our ability toprovide cutting edge education that leads directly toemployment and great careers,” said Dr. Dena Maloney,founding dean of the Canyon Country campus. “Theseprograms are specifically focused on the in-demand,new technologies our economy needs and our communi-ty expects to receive from College of the Canyons.”

Among the current programs also slated to move intothe ATEC are: building inspection, land surveying, con-struction management and landscape maintenance/man-agement and automotive technology.

Expected to encompass half of the 10,000 square feetof lab space, the ATEC auto lab will include eight auto-motive bays, transmission lab, engine lab, tool cribs andstorage for additional equipment – providing the spaceneeded to become certified by the National AutomotiveTechnicians Education Foundation (NATEF).

“The reality of current and future workforce needs isthat potential employees must be skilled in the areas theyhope to find employment,” said Audrey Green, dean ofprogram development. “Opportunity abounds in theskilled labor market, and the programs being developedfor the Applied Technology Education Center will pre-pare students for that type of employment.”

Addressing another high-demand area of employ-ment in California is the recently introduced GeneralEmerging Technologies Laboratory Technician (GET-LABTECH) program.

The GETLABTECH program is designed to providea basic understanding of the essential laboratory techni-

cian skills needed to prepare students seeking immediateemployment in biotech, electronics, pharmaceutical andchemical industries.

Completion of the program will prepare students forcareers in a wide range of scientific and commercialindustries that have embraced the use of advanced tech-nology and nanotechnology.

Students enrolled in the program also have the optionof completing the exploratory Introduction to Nano-technology survey course that will begin to prepare stu-dents for careers in industries that have embraced the useof nanotechnology.

“This program is a perfect example of how commu-nity colleges work to bolster the local economy,” saidDr. Van Hook.

“We’re providing students the skills they need toland well-paying jobs in highly skilled technical fields,and we’re helping to put people back to work in themidst of an ever-changing and challenging economicenvironment,” she added.

Another important goal of the program is to workclosely with the college’s Economic DevelopmentDivision and Employee Training Institute (ETI) to iden-tify and form community partnerships and provide skillstraining to businesses and employees.

“The college’s Economic Development Division willbe invaluable in helping to alert the department aboutemerging trends in the industrial community and howthis program might help serve their needs,” said KathyFlynn, chemistry professor at the college.

Even adult students and community members return-ing to school for additional training and/or retraining,but without a specific area of employment in mind, willfind a wealth of services available to help them pursuetheir academic and career goals.

RecoveryFROM PAGE 1

MENTRY HaLL EXPaNSIONThese artist’s renderings depict howMentry Hall will appear when anexpansion project now under way iscompleted. The 32,000-square-footaddition will provide 16 new class-rooms for students studying anima-tion; radio, television and film; photog-raphy; graphic multimedia design; art,and interior design. a groundbreakingceremony was held on Sept. 10.Completion is scheduled for fall 2010.

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS BREAKING NEWS • FALL 2009 3

College of the Canyons will offer a 2010 winter ses-sion during January and the first week of February,although the number of class sections will be

reduced over previous years.The college’s winter session is slated to run from Jan.

4 through Feb. 6, 2010, and will focus on classes that datareveal are most in demand by students. Registration isnow under way.

Many of California’s community colleges, reelingfrom state budget cuts, have canceled their winter sessionsto save money.

Although College of the Canyons received severalmillion dollars less in operating funds from the state, itunderstands that many students rely on winter sessionclasses. The college introduced winter session about fiveyears ago to provide students with opportunities to pick up

an extra class or two in an accelerated format. The deci-sion to retain the five-week winter session is the result ofstrategic programming.

The state funding cuts and reduction in winter classescome at a time when students are demonstrating anunprecedented need for classes. As a result, competitionfor seats is expected to increase.

“This is a reality that we are facing now and for theforeseeable future as we cope with the impacts of the eco-nomic downturn,” said Sue Bozman, vice president ofcommunications, marketing and external relations for thecollege. “The community should know that we probablywon’t be able to serve everyone who turns to us for class-es – either this winter or in ensuing semesters.

In another cost-saving move, the schedule of classesfor the winter session will be available only online at

www.canyons.edu. No printed versions will be available.A printed version of the spring 2010 class schedule will beavailable in limited numbers, but it will not be mass-mailed to the community. Copies of the spring classschedule will be sold for $1 each at either the Valencia orCanyon Country campus.

“By not printing and mailing class schedules to theentire community as we have done for years, we’ll savemore than $100,000 a year. That’s money we can use inother critical areas of college operations,” Bozman said.

The college will communicate important informationand dates to students through email messages, postcardsand other available means.

Students are reminded to check the college’s Website – www.canyons.edu – for important messages relatedto registration and class offerings.

Winter Session to Provide In-Demand Classes

humans to set foot on the moon;• A huge rock ‘n’ roll festival was held

on a farm in Woodstock, N.Y.; • Richard Nixon became president;• The Boeing 747 flew the first time;• The first ATM in the U.S. was

installed in Rockville Centre, N.Y.;• The movie “Butch Cassidy and the

Sundance Kid” was released;• The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album

was released worldwide; • Baseball’s miracle New York Mets

won the World Series; • The first message was sent over the

ARPANET, the forerunner of the Internet;• And the Vietnam War continued...The Santa Clarita Valley looked a lot

different in 1969, and the differences in thelocal landscape show just how far the areahas come in 40 years. Back then:

• Fine dining options included theBackwoods Inn on Sierra Highway, theBig Oaks Lodge up Bouquet Canyon, andTip’s on Lyons Avenue.

• Other popular eateries included thevenerable Saugus Café, the Way StationCoffee Shop, the Bamboo Café, and alocal mainstay: Chi-Chi’s Pizza.

• Residents could catch a movie at theMustang Drive-in on Soledad, which hada double Clint Eastwood first-run bill of“The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” and“Hang ’em High.”

• A storm system brought 18 inches ofrain in 10 days, and another added 6 moreinches just days later.

• The Hell’s Angels motorcycle gangroared into town – to film a men’s suitcommercial.

• New shopping opportunities werebecoming available. There wasn’t a mallback then, but we had the Sprouse Reitzdime store at Market and San Fernando,and a Sear’s catalog store on Lyons.

• People shopped for groceries atDillenbeck’s on Sierra Highway, Phil’sCountry Cousins on Lyons, and Safewayin the new Old Orchard Shopping Center.

Progress and change were evident allover town:

• McBean Parkway opened for traffic,and the first Valencia neighborhoods werebeing established.

• Homes sold in Old Orchard I andOld Orchard II for $25,000, and the firstValencia Hills homes became available.

• New housing tracts were sproutingup in Saugus and Canyon Country, lead-ing to a population explosion.

• Magic Mountain was just in theplanning stages.

• The old Highway 99 was steadilybeing circumvented by a major north-south freeway, Interstate 5, which would

cut a swath through the Santa ClaritaValley, as would State Route 14.

• Following California voters’approval to bring state water south, con-struction was moving forward on a majornew State Water Project lake in Castaic.

• Ground was broken for the new L.A.County Civic Center on ValenciaBoulevard.

• Just like today, there was a lot ofbuilding going on, and a once-sleepycommunity was beginning to awaken.

College of the Canyons wasn’t much tolook at when it opened in 1969.

• The first classes were held at HartHigh School in the evenings, after highschool students left for the day.

• There wasn’t much where the 154-acre Valencia campus is today, except cat-tle and cow patties.

• To the south, CalArts was underconstruction.

But what a difference 40 years makes.Under the powerful and innovative leader-ship of Dr. Dianne Van Hook, who hasbeen the superintendent-president and nowchancellor for the past 21 years, the col-lege has become a major force in the SantaClarita Valley.

Through state funding, the passage ofseveral state and local bonds, and a variety

40th AnniversaryFROM PAGE 1

This late 1960s image shows the location where College of the Canyons’ Valencia campus wouldbe built. The view is looking south, with a recently built Interstate 5 on the right and ValenciaBoulevard crossing the lower half of the image.

See 40th ANNIVERSARY on Page 7

With a trio of fascinating exhibi-tions taking place this winter,the College of the Canyons Art

Gallery invites community members tostop in and experience its unique inter-pretation of art and culture.

“Our exhibitions feature work thatwill engage you, that will cause you tostop to investigate and ask, ‘What’sgoing on in these pictures, what is thestory?’ ” said Larry Hurst, Art Gallerydirector. “When visiting the gallery youwill no doubt see work that you like, aswell as work that disturbs you. You willsee styles you relate to and others thatyou don’t.

“But from the artist’s standpoint,any response is good,” Hurst said. “Forit’s the artist’s attempt to engage youand stimulate thought.”

“Beyond the Image,” currently onexhibit through Dec. 11, features thework of 30 young California artistsworking as illustrators. Presented inpartnership with the Black MariaGallery in Glendale, the exhibit in-cludes a variety of illustrative mediaand styles representing each artist’sdiverse artistic vision.

Dedicated to non-mainstream art,Black Maria Gallery focuses on worksthat reverberate with the shock of thenew in a way that initiates wondermentand self-reflection. Owners Sam Sag-hatelyan and Zara Zeitountsian operatethe gallery with the belief that thought-provoking art has a hugely importantplace in civic and social discourse,especially in these times.

“This exhibition represents some ofthe freshest work emerging from theSouthern California art world. Thestyles and mediums of the work on dis-play will vary widely, creating a won-derful visual excitement,” said Mer-cedes McDonald, COC art instructor

and curator of the exhibition. “‘Beyondthe Image’ will provide a glimpse into agenre of art that is both thought-provok-ing and approachable.”

A special artists’ reception is sched-uled in the gallery from noon to 3 p.m.Saturday, Dec. 5.

Next, the gallery will begin the newyear with “Inspiration,” an exhibitscheduled Jan. 19 to 29.

A collaboration between the ArtGallery and the Santa Clarita Valley’shigh school art instructors, the exhibitwill showcase the talent and work oflocal art instructors, as well as piecesfrom their most talented students.

An artists’ reception will take placefrom 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19 at theArt Gallery.

The gallery will begin the springsemester with “Life After Life: AContemplation of the Unknown,” run-ning from Feb. 16 to March 4.

A collaboration with the college’sEnglish Department, the exhibit willfeature the visual work of approximate-ly 12 professional artists displayedalongside creative writing selectionsfrom COC students, faculty and staff.

“The organizers behind ‘Life AfterLife’ intended this to be an introspectiveexploration of the impact of death onthe way we interpret life,” said Hurst.“This is an exciting time at the gallery,and everyone is invited to join the dia-logue.”

All gallery exhibitions and relatedevents are free and open to the public.

The Art Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 4p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Visitors unableto visit during these hours are welcometo call (661) 362-3612 to make a view-ing appointment.

For more information, please visitwww.canyons.edu/offices/ArtGallery.

art gallery Shows Promiseto Engage and Inspire

With shows ranging from anacoustic country concert, to amusical journey through ancient

Ireland, to an arrangement of traditionalholiday selections produced by the col-lege’s music department, the winter lineupat the Santa Clarita Performing ArtsCenter at College of the Canyons (PAC) issure to provide audiences with plenty ofholiday cheer.

Ushering in the PAC’s holiday seasonwill be the critically acclaimed traditionalIrish ensemble Danú, performing “AChristmas in Ireland” at 8 p.m. Friday,Dec. 4, on the PAC’s main stage.

Featuring virtuosi musicians on theflute, tin whistle, fiddle, button accordionand bouzouki, with a mixture of Irish andEnglish-derived vocals, the group’s mix-ture of ancient and contemporary Irishmusic has been described by audiences asa high-energy, memorable and movingholiday experience.

“We are very excited about bringingDanú to the Santa Clarita Valley to kick offthe holiday season,” said Adam Philipson,the PAC’s managing director. “Portions ofthis concert will be performed alongsidethe College of the Canyons Choir, makingthis show one of those memorable holidaymoments not to be missed.”

Featured in the PAC’s holiday seasonlineup for the second year in a row is theGo Country 105 FM Acoustic HolidayConcert. This year’s show features PhilVassar, “the hardest working man in coun-try music.” The concert is scheduled for 7p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6.

Including an array of Vassar’s heartfeltballads, and a holiday nod to his legions of“Phil Phriends,” this year’s concert alsoincludes country music newcomersJonathan Singleton and The Grove.

With new songs audiences are destinedto love – along with a selection of holidayfavorites – the Acoustic Holiday Concertis quickly becoming a Santa Clarita Valleyholiday tradition.

“Seats are going fast on this one,” saidPhilipson. “The Go Country concerts giveus the opportunity to reach new audiencesand encourage people from outside ourvalley to visit the PAC. Last year’s sold-out acoustic holiday show was one of thebest shows of the season.”

The COC Music Department will pres-ent a trio of holiday-inspired performancesbeginning with the COC Music WinterSpectacular at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, on

the PAC main stage.Grouping the three-tiered instrumental

education programs offered by the college,the Winter Spectacular will feature theCanyons Prelude Strings, StudentOrchestra and Symphony of the Canyonscombining to present a concert of orches-tral classics such as Tchaikovsky’s “TheNutcracker Suite.”

The Music Department will host itsannual holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday,Dec. 11. Featuring traditional holidayfavorites – with a jazz flavor – the concertwill be presented by the award-winningJazz Ensemble and Lab Jazz Combo.

The following day, audiences are invit-ed to join the COC Choirs for an eveningof diverse musical selections ranging fromfavorite Christmas and Hanukkah songs tomulticultural pieces representing a varietyof languages and ethnicities. The concertis scheduled 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12.

’Tis the Season at the Performing arts Center

Critically acclaimed traditional Irishensemble Danu (above) will perform“a Christmas in Ireland” on Dec. 4,while Phil Vassar (right) will head-line go Country 105’s acousticHoliday Concert on Dec. 8.

TICKETS

ONLINE: www.canyonspac.comLearn more about all shows at the PAC,purchase tickets securely and quickly,even select the seats you’d like to sit in.

PHONE: (661) 362-5304

VISIT THE BOX OFFICEHours are 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.Monday through Friday. The Box Officeis located at the front of the PAC, 26455Rockwell Canyon Road, Santa Clarita.

4 COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS BREAKING NEWS • FALL 2009

Persistence Transformed Dream into Reality

The University Center is clearly theculmination of many people’s sup-port, talents and efforts, but all agree

that it was the vision and persistence ofone particular “dreamer” that ultimatelymade it happen.

That’s the reason it’s called the Dr.Dianne G. Van Hook University Center.

Some two decades in themaking, the UniversityCenter concept has provenitself in very short order,allowing thousands of peo-ple to pursue their educa-tional dreams without leav-ing the Santa Clarita Valley.

Dr. Van Hook was anearly adopter of that simplebut important concept, firstproposing a variation of theidea to the president ofCalifornia State University,Northridge 20 years ago.

“While I was enthusias-tic, the idea – from theCalifornia State University perspective –was one whose time had yet to come,” Dr.Van Hook said.

The idea was resurrected in 1993,when a new president emerged at CSUN.Dr. Van Hook and former Signal ownerand editor Ruth Newhall explored the pos-sibility of developing a higher-educationlearning center in the Santa Clarita Valley,but the timing was off yet again.

“The stars were not aligned then either,as a month later the Northridge earthquakeoccurred, and recovery from that occupiedthe CSUN folks for years to come,” Dr.Van Hook said.

Undeterred, Dr. Van Hook was con-vinced the community would embrace theconcept. She had heard story after storyfrom frustrated residents who could notgain access to four-year universitiesbecause of commuting and child-careissues, work schedules and time con-straints, and other roadblocks. Businessowners, too, had their own frustrations,citing a lack of qualified graduates in thelocal workforce.

All the University Center conceptneeded was a chance – and the funding.

With a vision and planning team inplace, the college began identifying poten-

tial revenue sources and moving forwardon multiple tracks. The COC Foundationwas the first to come aboard, helping raiseprivate funds. At the same time, Dr. VanHook secured the support of two projectchairs: Tom Lee, retired chairman andCEO of Newhall Land, and Lou Garasi,president of Gruber Systems. Congress-

man Howard “Buck” McKeoncame on board as honorarychair shortly afterward.

The University Centercapital campaign officiallybegan in 2001 with the COCFoundation’s family cam-paign, in which 99.6 percentof the college’s staff, and allof the Board of Trustees, sup-ported the effort with personalcontributions. Local leadersand businesses began to stepforward with large donationsand pledges.

McKeon helped the col-lege acquire roughly $2.3 mil-

lion in federal funding to help open andequip the college’s Interim UniversityCenter, which opened in 2002 and provedthe concept was viable. Next, the WilliamS. Hart Union High School District, whoseAcademy of the Canyons is housed in theUniversity Center, signed on. Later in2001, the college designated theUniversity Center project as an allowableexpenditure on Measure C, the $82.1 mil-lion general obligation bond that votersapproved that fall.

The opportunity to prove that theUniversity Center concept was viablearrived in 2002. To prove a point, Dr. VanHook opened an Interim University Centeron the campus. California State Univer-sity, Bakersfield was the first to sign on,bringing degree and credential programsthat proved wildly popular. Soon, otherinstitutions – University of La Verne, CalState Fresno, Chapman (now Brandman)University, CSUN, ELS Language Centersand National Univer-sity – signed on aswell.

With the groundwork laid, Dr. VanHook began talking about the UniversityCenter concept to contacts at the statelevel. Eventually, the California Com-

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS BREAKING NEWS • FALL 2009 5

building, which overlooks the 154-acre Valencia campus andcommands impressive views of the Santa Clarita Valley beyond,was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting and grand-opening ceremo-ny on Saturday, Oct. 17.

“This is the culmination of a dream,” College of the CanyonsChancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook said. “We have long soughtto meet the higher-education needs of our community beyond thecommunity college level, and we are now able to do that in a cut-ting-edge learning facility.”

The University Center was created to address the communi-ty’s lack of upper-division degree programs by forging partner-ships with four-year universities to make their academic programsavailable here.

The University Center began holding classes at the start of thefall semester. Partnerships already exist with University of LaVerne, Brandman (formerly Chapman) University, UCLAExtension, National University, California State University(CSU), Bakersfield and CSU, Northridge.

Though such academic opportunities have been available atthe college’s Interim University Center since 2002, the new facil-ity will allow additional university programs.

The building was completed after nearly a decade of focusedeffort that included an aggressive fundraising campaign, a suc-cessful strategy at the state level for funding, and the developmentof some innovative partnerships locally. The idea moved fromconcept to reality thanks to the help of fundraising co-chairs TomLee, Lou Garasi and U.S. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon.

“It takes a team to build a University Center,” Dr. Van Hooksaid, “and we had a great one.”

In all, the University Center will house up to 10 partner insti-tutions and offer more than 50 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoraldegrees, as well as a variety of credential programs. Negotiationsare under way to offer additional universities’ programs.

Also located here is the Wm. S. Hart Union High SchoolDistrict’s Academy of the Canyons, which allows high school stu-dents to take a mix of both high school and college courses.

During the University Center opening celebration, visitorstoured the state-of-the-art facility while learning more about itspartner institutions and lineup of academic programs.

“We’re pleased to welcome those with a desire to succeed,”Dr. Van Hook added. “And we’re proud that we can help themachieve their goals.”

University CenterFROM PAGE 1

Bachelor’s DegreesBusiness Administration (ULV)Child Development (ULV)Organizational Management (ULV)*Liberal Studies (CSUB)Communications (CSUB)English (CSUB)Psychology (Brandman)Criminal Justice (Brandman)Social Science (Brandman)Computer Information Systems (Brandman)Legal Studies (Brandman)Applied Studies (Brandman)Nursing (National)

Master’s DegreesLeadership Management (ULV)*MBA (ULV)Educational Management (ULV) Educational Counseling (ULV)Educational Administration (ULV)Education, Advanced Teaching (ULV)

Education, Curriculum & Instruction with Reading/Literacy specialty option (CSUB)

Special Education (ULV)MPA (CSUN)Psychology with emphasis in Marriage & Family Therapy (Brandman)

Credential ProgramsMultiple Subject Teaching (CSUB)Single Subject Teaching (CSUB)Professional Clear Teaching (CSUB)Pupil Personnel Services (ULV)Mild/Mod. Ed. Specialist, Level I & II (ULV)Preliminary Administrative Services (ULV)Designated Subj. Adult Teaching (UCLA Ext)

Certificate ProgramsReading Certificate (CSUB)TESOL Certificate (UCLA Extension)

Doctoral ProgramOrganizational Leadership (ULV)

University Center ProgramsThe following are programs currently offered at the Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook University Center.Please visit www.cocuniversitycenter.com for the most up-to-date listing.

Board of Trustees Named University Center toRecognize Chancellor’s Key Role in its Creation

DR. DIaNNE g. VaN HOOK

ULV: University of La Verne; CSUB: California State University, Bakersfield; CSUN: California State University,Northridge; Brandman: Formerly Chapman University.

See PERSISTENCE on Page 7

Meet EDD. and CaCT, ETI and SBDC. They’re Here to Help.

College Helps Community ‘get Back to Work’

Program guides and Nurtures Young Entrepreneurs

Adult students and community mem-bers returning to college for addition-al job training and/or retraining, but

without a specific employment field in mind,will find a wealth of services available tohelp them pursue their career goals.

Among them is the Adult Re-EntryProgram, which helps new, returning andcontinuing adult students 25 and older pre-pare for academic and professional careers.

By providing helpful information ses-sions, workshops, campus and communityreferrals, support groups and ongoing coun-seling courses and services, the Adult Re-Entry Program helps students identify andplan their academic and career paths – whilealleviating fears about returning to college.

“As a former re-entry student at Collegeof the Canyons, I understand the courage anddetermination it takes to come back toschool,” said Deborah Rio, dean of enroll-ment services at the college. “The Adult Re-Entry Program was introduced to help stu-dents take those first important steps to movetoward their educational and career goals.”

Throughout each semester the Adult Re-Entry Program offers hour-long informationsessions that introduce re-entry students tothe college and provide an overview of theprogram. Students receive information about

various associate degree and certificate pro-grams, and learn the importance of meetingwith adult re-entry counselors to create indi-vidualized “educational roadmaps.”

“Meeting with a counselor is an impor-tant first step toward easing the stress of there-entry process and ensuring a student’sacademic success,” said Carolyn Powell,counseling faculty member at the college.

Also available to re-entry students arecounseling courses covering a range of top-ics such as career exploration, career/jobsearch preparation, career and life-planning,and academic success strategies.

Introduced in 2009, the “Counseling100: Success Strategies for the Re-entryStudent” course offers an exploration of thefactors that impact lifelong learning, person-al well- being and student success.

Specific topics include motivation, criti-cal thinking, effective study strategies whilecaring for children, health and lifestylechoices, time management, educational plan-ning, career exploration and stress reduction.

“Counseling courses are a great way forre-entry students to begin the transition backinto the higher education system, especiallyif they have been away from the classroomraising a family or working toward a career,”said Liz Shaker, counseling faculty member.

In just its second year, the YoungEntrepreneurs Program at the SmallBusiness Development Center (SBDC)

hosted by College of the Canyons continuesto provide young people with opportunitiesto explore their budding business aspirations.

The Young Entrepreneurs Program(YEP) offers free business counseling andtraining programs in management, finance,marketing, sales and e-commerce, all aimedat those age 14 to 27.

Using a variety of outreach and deliverymethods, including Web sites, blogs, socialnetworking sites, virtual-reality games,youth-oriented trainers and business-simula-tion products, YEP advisors guide andencourage young people interested in self-employment.

By attending YEP-hosted events andcompleting assigned business projects, stu-dents gain transferable business skills and anunderstanding of the relevance of educationto their careers. They also develop life-man-agement and problem-solving skills.

“The mission is to use engaging andinteractive techniques to show young people

that being an entrepreneur is a viable careerpath,” said Nina Grooms Lee, YEP’s pro-gram manager. “We believe that whether ourparticipants want to start their own businessor not, teaching them to think and act entre-preneurially and create opportunities forthemselves will be extremely beneficial.”

In October, the college’s SBDC hostedthe high-energy Extreme EntrepreneurshipTour at the Santa Clarita Performing ArtsCenter at College of the Canyons. The eventattracted nearly 300 people.

Presented by the California CommunityColleges Economic Workforce DevelopmentProgram (EWD), the Extreme Entrepren-eurship Tour helps students take the initialsteps needed to start a small business byoffering inspiration and practical advice.

The Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour fea-tures fellow young entrepreneurs who havemade significant impacts in the businessworld before the age of 30.

More information about the YoungEntrepreneurs Program is available by call-ing (661) 294-9375 or sending an email tosbdc@canyons.edu.

The Economic Development Division’simportance during this recession can-not be overstated. Although it oversees

a host of entities peppered with ominous-sounding acronyms such as ETI, CACT andSBDC, its unwritten mission is actually verysimple: Create prosperity.

That prosperity – especially the way inwhich it can help a recession-ravaged econo-my – is created by doing what the EconomicDevelopment Division does best. It helpsbusinesses prosper, which in turn keeps themvibrant and their workers employed. It helpsthose businesses grow, to embrace new chal-lenges, and to seek out the human talent thatkeeps the unemployment rate low.

Quite simply, the Economic Develop-ment Division helps the drivers of this econ-omy stay ultra-competitive in an ultra-com-petitive business climate. And it keeps theeconomy humming along so that everyonebenefits – either directly or indirectly.

“The Economic Development Divisionhas served more than 18,000 employees androughly 3,000 employers since 2003,” saidDr. Bruce Getzan, dean of the division.

While a lot of eyes probably glazed overat the sight of all those big numbers, it meansthat 18,000 people received some sort ofskills training that made them and theiremployers more competitive – just plain bet-ter at what they do. It means that 3,000 busi-nesses received some sort of training orassistance that allowed them to prosper,grow and remain competitive players on thelocal, state, national or world stage.

“We’re working with many businesses sothey can prosper, keep their employees andhire new people,” Getzan said. “Businessesthat prosper fuel the economy locally,

regionally and statewide.”As for those ominous-sounding acro-

nyms, they are simply bureaucratic short-hand for some very important niche pro-grams that benefit local businesses, employ-ees and the greater community. ETI standsfor Employee Training Institute, CACT forCenter for Applied Competitive Technolo-gies, and SBDC for the Small BusinessDevelopment Center – hosted by College ofthe Canyons, lest anyone confuse our SBDCwith anyone else’s. Yes, there are others.

Each offers specialized services designedto meet specific needs, and they can tracetheir emergence to the entrepreneurial lead-ership of Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. VanHook. Since first arriving at College of theCanyons in 1988, she has supported the cre-ation of two SBDCs, established ETI, andfostered a partnership with AerospaceDynamics to create CACT.

The division’s recent relocation to the Dr.Dianne G. Van Hook University Center hasallowed it to host events designed to bringbusiness leaders together. Already, it hashosted an introduction and tour of theUniversity Center for a delegation of busi-ness leaders from China, the City of SantaClarita, the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber ofCommerce and the Los Angeles CountyEconomic Development Corp. It also hashosted a technology boot camp for smallbusinesses, and a workshop on how employ-ers can use federal stimulus dollars to hirenew employees.

For more information about EDD – oh,that’s short for Economic DevelopmentDivision – or any of the other acronyms thatdon’t roll off the tongue quite as elegantly asEDD, please visit www.canyonsecondev.org.

6 COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS BREAKING NEWS • FALL 2009

CACT is all about keeping businesses andtheir employees at the cutting edge of technolo-gy and manufacturing processes. CACT wasestablished at College of the Canyons in 1997 tohelp technology-based companies learn, com-pete and grow. It provides workforce-trainingprograms, demonstrations of new manufactur-ing technologies, and access to federal, stateand local resources.

An initiative of the California CommunityCollege’s Economic and Workforce Develop-ment program, it is one of 13 CACTs statewide.

Its mission is to advance the innovation, globalcompetitiveness and economic output ofadvanced technology firms across California.

“Even if a company is unsure what trainingthey would benefit the most from, CACT person-nel can perform an on-site operational audit,which will help provide those answers,” saidKeith Rypka, CACT director. “Sometimes wedon’t know what we don’t know, and the CACTis here to help businesses in those situations.”

Information: (661) 362-3111On the Web: www.canyonsecondev.org

Training, training, more training. Businessesthat strive to be competitive can never have enoughemployee training. It’s a good thing we have theEmployee Training Institute, one of the college’skey providers of workforce training. ETI showscompanies how to drive down costs, and expandthe skills of their workforce.

ETI has provided training to more than 1,500firms and around 10,000 employees since it firstcame on the scene in the early 1990s. It offers pro-fessional and organizational development services,as well as a full lineup of employee skills coursestaught by experienced trainers. One of ETI’s hall-

marks is that it provides this valuable trainingaffordably.

“It’s our goal to be a valued partner to busi-nesses throughout the SCV,” said Kristin Houser,ETI director. “Just as our clients have had to adaptto these challenging economic times, ETI is alsodeveloping new training formats and topics inresponse to their needs.”

ETI programs can be formatted to meet anyschedule, with short- and long-term classes heldon-site or at a designated training facility.

Information: (661) 362-3245On the Web: www.canyonsecondev.org

The SBDC hosted by College of the Canyonsempowers entrepreneurs to transform their ideasinto tangible startups or business expansions thatcreate jobs and benefit the economy.

Launched here in 2006, the SBDC serves awide area that encompasses the Santa Clarita,Antelope and San Fernando valleys.

It provides workshops, one-on-one consultingand other resources. It receives core funding fromthe Small Business Administration and is support-

ed by other sponsors. Because of this financialsupport, it can provide advisory services to smallbusinesses at no cost.

“The SBDC can help level the playing field forsmall businesses by providing them the expertcounsel that a large firm would obtain from an in-house CFO, IT, HR or marketing director,” saidSteve Tannehill, SBDC director.

Information: (661) 294-9375On the Web: www.sbdc4biz.org

The SBDC hosted the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour event at College of the Canyons in October.

College of the Canyons’ CareerServices and Job Placement Centeris dedicated to helping students and

community members alike in their explo-ration of careers and employment.

The center features an online jobdatabase and offers daily career advise-ment and career-assessment services. Italso provides a number of career-explo-ration opportunities for community mem-bers who are undecided about whichcareer path to take.

The center also recently launched itsnew Work Interest Networking andSupport (WINS) program. With meetingsheld every other Thursday from noon to 1p.m. in the college’s Valencia campusLibrary, Room 224, the WINS programcreates an environment where students,professionals and community memberscan exchange advice and share careerexperiences while learning helpful tech-niques to help attain their career goals.

“We’ve heard countless stories fromstudents and community members aboutjob loss, confusion and frustration withthe job search, and an overall feeling ofhelplessness,” said Anthony Michaelides,director of career services at the college.“Our goal is to provide them with the sup-port, guidance, assistance and tools need-ed to get back on track and headed in theright direction.”

The center sponsors two well-attend-ed job fairs each year, usually in thespring and fall. Additional servicesinclude career advisement, seminars toimprove interview skills, resume cri-tiques by appointment, a resource library,and phone and fax access.

Career Services offers programs atboth the Valencia and Canyon Countrycampuses. For more information, visithttp://www.canyons.edu/offices/career-center/, or call (661) 362-3286 (Valencia)or (661) 362-3816 (Canyon Country).

College Helps Students, CommunityMembers Explore Careers, Find Jobs

Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT)

Employee Training Institute (ETI)

Small Business Development Center (SBDC)

Over the summer, members of theCollege of the Canyons graduatingclass of 2026 formally began their

education, opening the new CanyonCountry Center for Early ChildhoodEducation (ECE) with a ribbon-cuttingceremony held at the college’s CanyonCountry campus.

As the youngest group of students everto study at the Canyon Country campus,the center’s first students began classes inthe new 2,150-square-foot ECE facility onAug. 19.

Days later, College of the Canyonsstaff and administrators were joined by acollection of Santa Clarita Valley commu-nity leaders to officially open the centerand celebrate the accomplishment of open-ing one of the first permanent additions tothe Canyon Country campus.

“Having the child development centerson our campuses is inspiring and energiz-ing given the way children approach life,”College of the Canyons Chancellor Dr.Dianne G. Van Hook said. “We can alllearn from their unbridled enthusiasm,their yearning to explore and discover, andtheir dogged determination to master newskills.

“And we could all use their energy,”she added.

The Center for ECE is committed toproviding a high-quality educational expe-rience for preschool children ages 3 and 4,while modeling an exemplary develop-mentally appropriate and culturally sensi-tive learning environment.

Featuring a learning environment andpreschool program structured around thestate’s recommended preschool learningfoundations, the center provides childrenwith a variety of creative materials neededto stimulate learning and social interac-tion, and curriculum designed to developand support language arts, math/science,dramatic play, music, movement, social/-emotional and creativity skills.

The program’s primary focus is to pro-mote feelings of competence and self-worth that will serve as strong foundationsfor students’ future growth and develop-ment.

“As we celebrate the opening of theEarly Childhood Education Center atCanyon Country we take another impor-tant step in the development of this cam-pus and all it has to offer,” said DianeStewart, dean of ECE and TrainingPrograms at the college. “The childrenwho participate in this center today aregoing to be the college students of tomor-row, and with this center they now have a

place to learn and grow.”Located in Quad 2 of the college’s

Canyon Country campus, the facilityincludes two fully furnished classrooms,age-appropriate restrooms, a kitchen andobservation areas to be utilized by parentsand ECE students.

Students majoring in ECE at Collegeof the Canyons will frequently be assignedlab hours to be conducted inside the center,

under the direct supervision of a masterteacher, allowing students to gain valuablehands-on teaching experience.

“The center is far more than just a pre-school and day-care. It’s a laboratory forlearning that will benefit young childrenand college students alike. It’s a placewhere children will learn by doing,” Dr.Van Hook said. “By opening this center wehave created a magical place.”

New Early Childhood Education Center Opens

Myrna and gary Condie will receive the SilverSpur Community Service award for 2010.

College of the Canyons Chancellor Dr. Dianne g. Van Hook (left) accepts a gift created by the chil-dren in the new Center for Early Childhood Education at the Canyon Country campus.

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS BREAKING NEWS • FALL 2009 7

of creative and innovative approaches togetting projects approved, the Valenciacampus sprouted buildings and facilitiesthat would ultimately become the placewhere 25,000 students are able to gainaccess to their educational goals anddreams. The addition of the CanyonCountry campus in August of 2007 furtherexpanded the college’s ability to servemore students in the future. And, advancesin technology allow students to take class-es online at an unprecedented rate.

Thanks to the availability of construc-tion funds, even in this down economy,aggressive construction plans for bothcampuses are moving forward.

The college currently offers associatein arts and science degrees in 61 academicprograms, as well as credentials in 69 cer-tificate programs. Academic programsrange from Animation to Television, Filmand Video Production; from Audio/RadioProduction to Video Game Animation;from Biotechnology to Theatre Arts; fromChild Development to Paralegal Studies;

from Dance to Industrial Manufacturing,Surveying and much more.

Celebrations of 40 years of success andexcellence will take place throughout the2009-10 academic year. Oral histories arebeing captured from long-time employeesand supporters of the college. Historicaldisplays are popping up all over campus.Faculty, staff and students are letting theircreative juices flow with low-cost, high-impact ideas to connect the college’s pastwith its future – to capitalize on the foun-dation that 40 years have created and touse that to create educational opportunitiesthat future students will need to succeed.

Everyone associated with the collegeseems to have embraced the connectionbetween 1969 and 2009 – years that willbe remembered well into the future. And,oddly, tie-dye shirts have been sighted allover campus, people are humming Beatlestunes, Led Zeppelin riffs can be heardoccasionally from maintenance closets,and the lyrics from the rock-musical“Hair” are in the air, invoking the spirit ofthe age of Aquarius.

To participate in the groovy celebra-tions the college has planned, visitcanyons.edu and click on the calendar.

40th AnniversaryFROM PAGE 3

bioterrorism attack and helped prepare forthe community’s response to a potentialpandemic. The purpose of the CRI plan isto treat an impacted mass population withmedications within a short time period.The drive-through clinic is called a rapidpoint of dispensing, or POD. The collegeis a designated POD site for the bioterror-ism plan. People stay in their cars to helpminimize the potential spread of infection.

“This collaborative training opportuni-ty demonstrates how the City of SantaClarita and its partners continually work toenhance response efforts for all types ofemergencies and also the importance ofpracticing for emergencies,” Mayor FrankFerry said.

Each year, more volunteers are broughtinto the POD organizational structure tolearn the responsibilities of key positions.As a result, more people are trained toassume the various responsibilities withinthe emergency structure. The hope is todevelop a pool of people who can step inand run multiple PODs if necessary.

“There are always things to learn andalways ways to improve our procedures,”said Dr. Michael Wilding, assistant super-intendent/vice president. “In fact, welearned last year that we needed to reorientthe traffic flow so that more cars could beaccommodated in the relative safety of thecollege’s parking lots rather than on busystreets, so this year cars entered the dis-pensing area from Rockwell Canyon Roadinstead of Valencia Boulevard.”

“The planning and implementing ofthe clinic fosters cooperation and commu-nication between agencies that otherwisedon’t often work together, who need to beable to coordinate their responses in theevent of a national emergency,” he said.

The Valencia campus is located nearfreeways and major arteries so that, in areal-world bioterrorism event, large num-bers of people could be inoculated quicklyand efficiently. Nursing students adminis-tered most of the shots, and students fromthe EMT program were responsible for thepre-shot screening process.

In the event of a large outbreak or ter-rorist attack, many sites similar to this onewould be needed to serve the needs ofcommunities throughout California.

Flu ShotsFROM PAGE 8

Class of 2026 Opens Centerat Canyon Country Campus

The College of the CanyonsFoundation has selected Gary andMyrna Condie to be recipients of

the coveted Silver Spur CommunityService Award for 2010.

The award ceremony will be held atthe Autry National Center on March 6.

“It’s an honor to be chosen by the col-lege as Silver Spur honorees,” said GaryCondie, founder and president/CEO ofCondie & Wood, CPAs. “When you lookover the list of prior honorees, you seehow important these people have been tothe college and to the community.”

Known for their passion, enthusiasm,dedication and generosity to many localnon-profit organizations and causes, thecouple’s distinguished record of commu-

nity service spans their 42 years of mar-riage.

Gary is a supporter of the Boys andGirls Club of Santa Clarita Valley, BoyScouts of America, Henry Mayo NewhallMemorial Hospital Foundation, COCFoundation and SCV Facilities Founda-tion. He most recently received the 2009California Society of CPAs 100thAnniversary Public Service Award.

“It’s humbling to be asked by the col-lege to be a part of the 2010 Silver Spurcelebration,” said Myrna. “It’s the 40thanniversary for the college and the 20thanniversary for Silver Spur. It will be funto return to the Gene Autry Museumwhere it all began.”

Recently named the 2009 California

Mother of the Year by the CaliforniaAssociation of American Mothers, Myrnais also involved with the Boys and GirlsClub and Boy Scouts, and she is a COCFoundation board member.

“The Condies’ record of service isuniquely impressive, given that theyinvest so much of themselves in whatthey undertake for the benefit of the com-munity,” said COC Chancellor Dr.Dianne G. Van Hook. “We are so gratefulfor the many ways they have supportedCollege of the Canyons and created excit-ing opportunities for us to better serve ourstudents. It is an honor to recognize themas our Silver Spur honorees for 2010 andthank them for their many years of serv-ice, support and friendship.”

Condies to Receive Silver Spur award

munity College Chancellor’s Office verbally approved thescope of the project, with the understanding that Dr. VanHook and the college would need to file a final capitalproject submittal by July 1, 2004. So it was while on vaca-tion, from high in the Eastern Sierras in early 2004, thatDr. Van Hook began working with Jim Schrage, vice pres-ident of facilities planning, operations and construction atthe college, to begin developing the plans.

The course of a normal project is to submit the initialproposal, then resubmit a final proposal the followingyear, after the initial proposal has been approved. Thechallenge was that the district was allowed to skip the ini-tial proposal and move straight to the final proposalprocess, which meant completing all of the necessary pro-gramming, design and detailing – a process that even on

an aggressive schedule takes six months – in less than twomonths. A prime example of Dr. Van Hook’s “if you candream it, you can do it” mantra in action, College of theCanyons embarked on what has become its trademarkapproach to big projects submitted the final proposal tothe state on July 1. As a result, the college was initiallyapproved for $9 million in state funding.

Dr. Van Hook and college administrators convincedstate legislators to modify language in the 2006 statewideeducation facilities bond – Prop 1D, to be placed on theNovember ballot – which would allow for the funding ofcollaborative projects/joint-use facilities like theUniversity Center. By the time voters went to the pollsthat November, the college had secured $21 million infunding for the University Center project in the 2006-07governor’s budget – pending passage of 1D. In addition,the college had launched a bond campaign of its own,Measure M – the $160 million general obligation bondproposed to local voters on the same November ballot –

which would provide an additional $10 million to theproject fund. Both bonds passed, and the dream finallytook form, as College of the Canyons would now have thefunding needed to move forward with construction.

With ground broken on the new center several monthsearlier, the Board of Trustees voted May 2, 2007, to namethe building in honor of Dr. Van Hook. Trustees cited her“tireless commitment to enhancing access to education,her belief in the power of dreaming big and never givingup, and her premise that we, as individuals and institu-tions, become what we give ourselves the power to be.”

“I am deeply honored and humbled by this gesture ofthe board and am very grateful to have this buildingnamed after me,” Dr. Van Hook added. “It hasn’t beeneasy, but no project of this magnitude and complexitycould be accomplished without a steadfast resolve to seeit through. I am particularly thrilled that we can all cele-brate the fruits of what this center will provide the SantaClarita Valley for many years to come.”

PersistenceFROM PAGE 5

Cougar athletics is once againbustling, as College of the Canyons’2009-10 seasons are under way.

First-year women’s soccer head coachJustin Lundin is having a strong seasonwith the team. The Cougars are in the tophalf of the Western State Conference,South Division and are fighting for secondplace behind conference leader PierceCollege. With only a few matches left, theCougars have some strong opponentsahead of them, but still have a chance tomake the playoffs, which begin on Nov.21. The Cougars will have to be one of thetop 16 teams in Southern California for abid into post-season play.

The men’s soccer team took a turn forthe better this season, after finishing 2008with only four wins. But there are noreminders of last season’s squad as theCougars are now vying for first place inthe conference and their first playoff bidsince 2004. Much of the success has comein the form of Golden Valley High Schoolalum Andres Bueno who leads the confer-ence with 13 goals, eight assists and 34points through the end of October. As withthe women, 16 teams from SouthernCalifornia will make the regional playoffs.

COC volleyball is looking for its firstconference title since 2000. A tight racebetween Bakersfield College and Collegeof the Canyons has kept things exciting, asperennial powerhouse Pierce College, theteam who has won the conference title forthe past eight years, has had a down sea-son. The Cougars, who have made theplayoffs for the last four campaigns, arefollowing the lead of sophomore LindseyWilcox who ranks among the top five indi-viduals in the conference in individual killpercentage and leads all Western Stateschool women’s volleyball players inblock assists at the end of October. Headcoach Lisa Hooper prepared her team forthe season with matches against thestrongest teams in the state, includingdefending state champion El CaminoCollege. The tough match-ups have onlyhelped COC, who is now a strong con-tender for playoff action that begins in lateNovember.

Cross-country head coach LindieKane and her group of athletes are alreadyin the post-season and are working on get-ting individuals to the state championshipat Fresno’s Woodward Park. In 2008, theprogram sent six runners to California’stop meet, and Kane hopes that more ath-letes will earn a chance to compete this

year. The women’s golf team is also already

in the middle of its post-season run. TheCougars have gone back and forth withSanta Barbara City College for secondplace in the Western State Conference buthope to break that tie in the conferencefinals at Buenaventura Golf Course. COCdid not make it to the state championshipas a team last season, but hopes to returnthis season for a chance at the state title.

The 2009 Cougar football team has nothad the same success that it experiencedlast year with the group that went 12-1.After losing a lot of talent to transfers,COC started the year off with a loss in the

second week to Santa Barbara, 17-14. TheCougars, who entered the 2009 season asthe fifth-ranked team in the state accordingto the California Community CollegeFootball Coaches Association state rank-ings, had not lost to the Vaqueros since theprogram was reinstated in 1998, and hadwon nine consecutive contests againstthem by an average of 32 ppg.

The win did fuel a comeback for theCougars, who two weeks later showedsigns that the Santa Barbara contest mayhave been a fluke when they beat then No.3 Fullerton College, 26-13.

With hopes of riding that big win andgaining momentum, Canyons instead had

its sails deflated the next week in a 19-16overtime loss in the conference opener toAllan Hancock. Things got tougher for theCougars a few weeks later as they trav-elled to Ventura College, a team that wasleading the conference standings, anddropped another National Division,Northern Conference game to the Pirates,23-6. The Cougars still have an opportuni-ty to make post-season play if certainschools are upset in the final weeks of reg-ular season games.

For more information on Cougar ath-letics, visit COCAthletics.com. For instantsports news, follow the Cougar athleticsTwitter feed at Twitter.com/COCAthletics.

TRIUmPh AND DISAPPOINTmENT

although Cougarfootball’s 2009-10season has been dis-appointing, brightspots included a 26-13 victory overFullerton College(above). The women’sgolf team (far left)hopes to compete fora state title, whilemen’s soccer (left)hopes to make theplayoffs.

Cross Country, Golf, Soccer,Volleyball Rack Up Wins

Lines of cars filled with Santa Clarita Valley residentssnaked through several College of the Canyons park-ing lots Friday, Oct. 30, as 1,561 seasonal flu vaccina-

tions were dispensed in what amounted to a “mobile pro-duction line.”

For the fourth consecutive year, the City of SantaClarita, the L.A. County Department of Public Health andCollege of the Canyons – along with the L.A. County sher-iff’s and fire departments – conducted a drive-through flushot clinic that dispensed vaccine to people in their vehicles.

In all, 1,499 adult and 32 pediatric seasonal flu shots,and 30 nasal vaccinations, were administered during theevent, which opened an hour earlier than the scheduled 10a.m. start time. The clinic operated until 12:30 p.m., dis-pensing inoculations against the seasonal flu – not theH1N1 vaccine.

“The logistics of screening for both types of shots pre-sented a larger number of logistical challenges that we wereable to accommodate in this type of format,” said MichaelJoslin, dean of student services at the college and the day’sdesignated “incident commander” under the state’sStandardized Emergency Management System (SEMS)operational structure. “We’ll be monitoring the spread of theH1N1 virus and will coordinate closely with all of theappropriate agencies in the event that we need to conduct asimilar event for H1N1.”

Flu shots are often provided to the public in anticipationof an active flu season, but the event also serves a second-ary purpose. This drive-through clinic once again tested theCities Readiness Initiative (CRI) response to a possible

Hundreds LineUp for Flu Shots

College of theCanyons nursing stu-dents (above) admin-

ister seasonal fluvaccine during the

drive-through clinicon Oct. 30. More than

1,500 people werevaccinated, and near-

ly 900 vehicles linedup along Valencia

Boulevard (right) andRockwell Canyon

Road before snakingtheir way through thecollege’s parking lots.

8 COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS BREAKING NEWS • FALL 2009

AThLETICS ROUNDUP

See FLU SHOTS on Page 7