Author: Cougar News Contributor

Cougar News Contributor

How COC is banding together to stop plastic pollution

Think about how often you use a piece of plastic. Maybe it was the straw in your Starbucks this morning, or the plastic bag you carried through the mall this…

Why COC remains an important force in our community (opinion)

By Shane Cutchall It was a cloudy, November afternoon in Communications class on the Valencia campus in Hasley Hall, and a group of three classmates in the back of the…

How “California Seedlings” came to be at COC

By Jackeline Barrientos If you sit outside of the College of the Canyons art gallery, observing students as they walk past, you may notice that the majority of students completely…

Communications professor inspires more than just her students

By Mauricio Gutierrez Passionate, animated, genuine- she strides back and forth in the classroom teaching interpersonal communication to a wide array of interested students and stopping every so often to…

Why authentic restaurants need more attention

By Sebastian Gonzalez Many people enjoy franchise restaurants for the sake of buying a quick meal, but not enough attention is given to hole in the wall restaurants. Some of…

Heroin(e): an essay on addiction (opinion)

By Isaac Hawkins My cousin Ashley Hawkins is a heroin addict. Before she became an addict she was a sweet individual who took care of her mother and brother. She…

Living with a sick mother while attending COC

By Daniela Torres It is an average Wednesday as Madison Spero finishes up the exam she had been studying for the night prior. Spero leaves her class still nervous due…

New skatepark to open in Castaic in 2019

By Shane Thomas A new project underway is exciting Santa Clarita’s youth. There is a new skate park under development in Castaic, CA. This 9,500 square foot area is under…

Club participation at COC versus four-year universities

By Kaitlynn Tedrick Club participation has long been a tradition in the college experience. However, students are growing busier with their academics; could the growing pressure on academic achievement dampen…

COC is getting trashed and we’re the ones doing it

By Mike Estrada You can’t walk around COC without noticing its beauty; from the always fresh cut lawns to the trees and flowers that produce radiant hues of colors from…

EOPS provides rare opportunities for struggling students

By Jonathan Hurtado On the southern end of College of the Canyons’ Valencia Campus is a building with simplistic architectural characteristics surrounded by bright green grass and a handful of…

RISE offers assistance to COC students in need

By Ashley Bautista Looking for assistance with the college experience at COC? Resources for Individual Success in Education is a new program at College of the Canyons that has partnered…

You’re not imagining it: parking is more of a nightmare than usual at COC

By Marriya Ahumada You fight the traffic to make it on campus and by the time you get there, you have five minutes before your class starts. When you pull…

The Michael Hoefflin Foundation is saving lives

By Brandon Laue Dealing with cancer is one of the most difficult things in life, and some people lack the proper support needed to take care of themselves. Michael Hoefflin…

The current state of sustainability efforts at COC

On each floor of Mentry Hall and Hasley Hall, small digital counters slowly tick upwards into the tens of thousands. The figures displayed on seven of them as of this…

The monster (maker) of Santa Clarita returns

By James Gend It’s like wearing six layers of clothing in a hot, steamy desert in the middle of summer. Light flashing all around you, with only two narrow peep…

Maker Space a celebration of diversity, creativity

By Maria Garcia There’s a strong smell; it could be the burnt metal or the laser cutter at work. The loud noise of the machines at work fills the room…

COC's Katie Colleta and Citrus's Audriana Arceneaux battling for the ball

COC girls’ soccer team fosters teamwork on and off the field

By David A. Gonzales If they aren’t learning new songs on the guitar or studying intricate work in kinesiology, they are scoring goals on the soccer field. Longtime friends Jennifer…

Wheelchair Sports Festival celebrates camaraderie, friendship, perspective

By John O’Donnell A whistle blows and the countdown begins. The ball is thrown and then immediately lost in an intense commotion of iron and sweat. The clash of metal…

The Millennial vote and why it matters

By Praditya Fulumirani Millennials don’t care. Those aren’t my words, that’s just what the figures say. “Heal the world/ Make it a better place/ For you and for me/ And…

Guns on campus: an issue of comfort or safety?

By Mercy Kowalski The devastation of outliving your child is even greater when their life was taken in their own classroom, where they are supposed to be taught, feel safe…

College of the Canyons students continue failing lower level math class

By Sophie Tucker Before attending College of the Canyons, or any college, for that matter, students are required to take a math placement test to determine how much they do…

Is college worth it? Even some professors have their doubts

By Elizabeth Medina In the back you can hear a tick tick tick as the clock makes its way to 5 o’clock. It’s evident the class is exhausted since the…

Health coverage: Protecting your personal investment: A note to graduates

By Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer and Cástulo de la Rocha The two of us are among dozens of commencement speakers at California’s colleges and universities this year who are calling…

Opinion: The Exploitation of NCAA Athletes

By Rigo Carbajal NCAA athletes entertain millions across the country. However, college athletes are exploited by the NCAA itself, many commercial establishments, merchandise sales and even their own coaches. Division…

Opinion: Back to decency

By Natalia Radcliffe Free speech. Here in the United States, it is taken for granted. Our founding fathers thought it was important that in the new country they were creating,…

Opinion: ‘Gun Bans? Give me a break.’

By Michael Chang As we all know, the topic of gun violence and, more specifically, gun control has been a very controversial issue that has been in the spotlight. While…

Opinion: Why ‘Fortnite” will survive longer than ‘PUBG’

By Tyler Castillo A feud between the two most popular games currently is heating up as both games move to mobile, but is one still better than the other? PUBG…

Opinion: Consider the Slingshot

By Kai Turner If you’ve been paying attention to the usual jibber jabber in media recently, you most certainly will have noticed that the issue of guns and people, or…

Opinion: Parents step aside

By Valeria Vazquez After the events on February 14, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School the student survivors took it upon themselves to lead a sweeping movement regarding gun…

Opinion: Shut up and dribble

By Andrew Garcia People first, figures second. Being a professional athlete, musician, public figure, celebrity, etc. doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your expressions and attitudes as a fellow American. This…

So you want to buy a car?

By Jose Luis Aparicio Jr. So, you’re a licensed driver in California and you make enough money to afford a monthly car payment. Congratulations! The open road waits. Your first…

COC’s art scene

By Natalie Eastman There are no phones in sight. As the music grows louder, those dancing in a sweaty mob edge closer to the performers. Outside, the atmosphere is quiet…

A magic trick for Parkinson’s

By Caitlyn Jules Malilay Unfortunately, one flick with a wand and sprinkle of magic cannot make Parkinson’s Disease disappear for 48-year-old David Rabotnick, COC nursing student, husband, and father of…

Opinion: When is it enough

By Karina Zeyrek “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”…

SCV’s Weekly Swap Meet Event

By James Gend Every Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday beginning at 7:00 am sharp, Santa Clarita Valley holds a large Swap Meet event in Saugus’ speedway arena. Here, residents pay a…

COC’s GSA Club Presents: Game Night

This month COC’s GSA Club will host its Game Night event that will feature free play of video games, board games and card games on November 17th, located in Student…

SCV’s Halloween Spirit

By James Gend As the Fall kicks off, the residents of Santa Clarita Valley eagerly await the return of the local trick-or-treaters and the spooks & scares thing bring along….

COC’s GSA Club presents Friday Night Bowling

By Travyan Suttle This week COC’s gay-straight alliance club will attend the Friday night bowling event. This event will be hosted by the Sociology and Psychology club, located at Valencia…

Opinion: How necessary Is higher education?

By Reiland Reantaso Millennials have been told their entire lives that the university system is the gateway to the American middle class. Acknowledging the raising cost of tuition and that…

Opinion: Stop ‘bleaching’ Hollywood

By Praditya Fulumirani Blackface, yellowface, redface—racism in Hollywood isn’t as blatant as it used to be, but by no means has it become any less hurtful. Whitewashing isn’t anything new, and…

Opinion: An industry goes up in smoke

By Cydnee Dos Santos In recent years, many changes came to the smoking world and it’s community when it comes to cigarettes. With vaping gaining attraction and sales in the…

Opinion: The news induced national regression

By John O’Donnell Since the birth of the first two political parties in the early 18th century, there has been an unending struggle between the righteousness of one over the…

The Stage Door; a local Venue that plays host to all artists and musicians.

The Stage Door is a small venue located inside Keyboard Galleria Music Center. It plays host to any and all local artist looking to showcase their talent on stage in…

Gaming for a cause

By Travyan Suttle This semester COC’s GSA Club will host its 2nd gaming tournament to raise money for the clubs cause. Proceeds gained from the gaming tournament will go toward…

Opinion: A Veterans Take on “Take A Knee”

By Matt Funicello, USMC Everyone and their uncle has put their two cents in about this NFL situation, so I figured I’d put mine in as well. I am a…

Men’s Cross Country Race hosted by COC at Central Park

By Diani Ellis After 7 years, COC’s Cross Country team host’s the So Cal preview meet at Central Park. Being the largest meet of the year, COC hosted 35 teams,…

COC Chancellor releases statement on DACA

The Trump administration officially announced today it is ending the DACA program which gave a deportation reprieve to an estimated 800-thousand undocumented citizens who came to the United States as…

Local club helps community and beyond

The blurriness is over. Hundreds of people in third world countries are seeing more clearly because of the Castaic Lions Club. In 1917, the Lion Club was started in Chicago,…

COC’s GSA Club: my experience of attending the GSA club for a semester

By Travyan Suttle As I sat down in my chair, anxiously waiting to know what the GSA Club meeting entailed, student introductions began. It was then I heard the introduction…