BRIEFS

from staff reports

Nov. 5, 2008

Cafeteria now open following health scare

The Ventura College cafeteria is opened for business following a health department shutdown last week.

The closure lasted one day while cafeteria staff cleaned up, Bear Munoz, one of the cafeteria cooks, said Tuesday. “We are back up and running and everything is cool,” Munoz said. “We are ready for business; come on in.”

The cafeteria was closed Monday, Oct. 27, due to “un-foreseen circumstances.”

The Ventura County Environmental Health Department suspended the cafeteria’s permit “due to a rodent infestation and unsanitary conditions because of the rodent infestation,” said Debbie Borsos, an Environmental Health supervisor.

Health Department people inspected the cafeteria Tuesday afternoon, Borsos said, and the cafeteria was reopened.

During the closure, Ramiro Sanchez, VC executive vice president, said the incident was unfortunate but that “we’re glad that we found the problem. We are fixing it and the cafeteria will be up and running shortly.”

— Jeannette Arteaga and Jasmine Flores

Universities to visit VC on Transfer Day

More than 48 colleges and universities will be on campus from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, to discuss with students general information about transferring for higher education during the Ventura College “Transfer Day 2008.”

UCLA, Cal Poly SLO, ITT Tech and the Art Institute are among the 11 UC campuses, 13 CSU campuses, and more than 24 independent colleges and universities that will attend the event. 

For more information, call the Ventura College Transfer and Career Center at (805) 654-6473 or (805) 654-6411.

— William Derrick

Vet Center, VFW to host Veterans Open House

A fall open house social for veterans, active duty and reserve members and their families will take place on Saturday Nov. 8 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in downtown Ventura. The event will be hosted by the Ventura Vet Center and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of Ventura.

The open house will include free food and raffles. "I am confident that everyone attending will have a great time, enjoy the food and drinks, and intermingle with fellow service members and veterans," said Natalie Cummings, 34, the Vet Center representative organizing the event.

Reservations are recommended but not required.

There are 65,543 veterans in Ventura County as of 2003, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Ventura College officials don’t know how many veterans are taking classes at the college. “Right now, for this semester, we have 152 veterans using their benefits” under the Montgomery GI Bill and other veterans benefits programs, said Isabel Tapia, VC veterans representative.

Cummings stated, "As an organization working closely with the VFW Post in Ventura, we feel that every service member and veteran deserves particular events which address their unique and special needs… This is our opportunity to pay tribute to them."   

For more information regarding the event, contact Natalie Cummings at (805) 886-9636.

— Jasmine Flores

Oct. 22, 2008

Violinist to perform with VC Symphony

Ventura College Symphony Orchestra will present its “Winners Circle” concert Oct. 25 in the VC Theatre at 8 p.m.

The concert will feature violinist Trina Bowman, a 17-year-old junior at Thousand Oaks High School and winner of the MTAC Conejo Valley Branch VOCE competition in 2008.

Bowman will play Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Saint Saens’ “Havanaise” for violin with the symphony.

Mozart’s 40th Symphony will be performed, and “Fiesta Tropicale” by Lopez will round out the program.

Tickets are $5 students, VC staff, seniors; $10 general admission. For more information call (805) 654-6400, ext. 3210.

Love is in the air; ‘Mozart in Love’

Ventura College Opera and Musical Theatre will bring its production of “Mozart in Love,” directed by Angela Rasmussen, to the Ventura College Theatre.

The play displays scenes from five of Mozart’s operas dealing in the labyrinth that is love.

Rasmussen who teaches music at Cal Lutheran University wrote the script in a fresh fun angle to the music of Mozart including “Cosi Fan Tutte,” “The Marriage of Figaro,” “The Magic Flute” and “Don Giovanni.”

The show will run for three days: Friday, Oct. 31, 8 p.m., dress rehearsal, free to students; Nov. 1 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 2, matinee at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 general admission, $5 for students, seniors, faculty.

For more information call program director Elizabeth Helms at (805) 654-6309.

VC painters exhibit in Santa Paula

Professor Dorothy Orr and Ventura College landscape painting students will exhibit their works at the Blanchard Community Library in Santa Paula from Nov. 1 through Dec. 27.

An artist reception will be held Nov. 13 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. It is open to be public.

Plein Air paintings will also be featured on the Douglas Shively Memorial Wall. Plein Air paintings by definition are created entirely on location.

For more details call Dorothy Orr at (805) 654-6400 ext. 1394.

Transfer Center offers campus tours

CSU Northridge and UCLA will host tours of their campuses for Ventura College students in the upcoming weeks.

CSU Northridge will have its tour on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. until 2p.m. UCLA will have its tour Friday, Nov. 21, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Interested students can stop by the Ventura College Transfer center to reserve a spot.

The Ventura College Transfer Center is located in the student services building next to the library.

For more information call (805) 654-6411 or (805) 654-6473.

Oct. 9, 2008

Financial Aid Workshop scheduled

A free Financial Aid workshop will be available for students and the public who need assistance applying for FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid.).

This workshop will explain the application process and review the required FAFSA forms in detail.

The workshop will be held Oct. 11 at 11 a.m. in the LRC building Beach area.

For more information call Ventura College Financial Aid office at (805) 654-6369. For maps and directions visit www.venturacollege.edu

Music Concert Series continues

The Ventura College Music Concert Series continues Friday, Oct. 10, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 12, at 3:30 p.m.

The Music Department is hosting three musical events: Grand Piano Soiree, Music of O. Powers and Daniel Pearl World Music Days.

The program will include Bach, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff and Chopin as well as a debut of Harmonic Motions by the faculty members. All concerts will be held at Ventura College Theatre.

Tickets are $15 for general admission, $5 for students and seniors.

SEPT. 11, 2008

Galleries present first fall exhibitions

“Survival and Denial,” featuring the works of Bob Moskowitz, on exhibition at Gallery 2 at Ventura College. “Northern Latitudes,” an exhibition by Margi Moskowitz, is on display at the college’s New Media Gallery. Through Sept. 28. The galleries are open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday  through Friday. For more information, call 648-8974.

One-Act play festival begins Sept. 25

“Eye to Eye,” “A Matter of Husbands,” “Abandoning Hannah” and “A Marriage Proposal,” will be presented during Ventura College’s One-Act Play Festival beginning Thursday, Sept. 25 at the Ventura College Theatre. Performances continue on Sept. 27, Oct. 2, Oct. 3 and Oct. 4, beginning at 8 p.m. The final performances takes place at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5. Tickets, $5 students/staff/seniors, $7 general admission.