Category: Spotlight

COC boasts top Model UN team

By Katherine Carmichael Most students who come to class late discreetly walk to their desk, their classmates acting as if nothing happened. One classroom, however, erupts into applause when a…

COC holds scholarship awards ceremony

COC students gathered Wednesday for an awards ceremony granting departing students scholarship awards. Families, friends and even faculty came out in support, with the scholarships varying in different categories…

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…

Spotlight: Ethan Espinosa

“It communicates to the customers that are waiting in line, that we care. Their drink is getting to them as soon as possible.” Ethan recently received his masters’ degree in business management from the Masters’ University. He has been managing the Kiosk ever since.

Spotlight: Vincenzo’s Pizza

Vincenzo’s has sought to produce the most authentic pizza around ever since it opened its doors in 1979. The pizzeria has become an iconic Santa Clarita restaurant, priding itself on…

COC Softball player talks about her life on and off the field.

From catching pop fly’s in the outfield, to smacking homers out of the stadium, Melanie Abzun has been one of the most consistent players for the COC softball team. Abzun…

Fred Roggin reflects on his LA sports radio career

Some people may call him Papa Roggin or The Dean. However, Angelenos call him Fred Roggin. Fred Roggin has been on the local NBC station since 1980 but has been…

Spotlight: 661 Skate

It’s rare to see a college student owning their own business, even more so a female college student owning a skate shop. Sarah Ross, 661 Skate owner and a College…

The Job and Career Center

If you’re still trying to figure out which career path is right for you, at the Job and Career Center, you can take a career assessment, meet with a career counselor,…

Richard Cook speaks about working at Jet Propulsion Labratory to students at COC

Students at COC got a telescopic view at future space exploration missions for Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Richard Cook, a 28-year employee at Jet Propulsion Laboratory spoke to students at College…

Business is booming in award-winning Santa Clarita

By Amanda Gamsu Santa Clarita students have more job opportunities than they realize, especially in high-profile, high-paying industries like entertainment and technology. The city isn’t just a quiet hometown- it’s…

Who Does It All At Your Local Floral Shop?

By: Diani Ellis It never hurts to buy your loved one flowers. As I stopped by the local Vons I noticed how lovely the floral department looked. I got the…

Preparing COC For An Emergency

By Annie Bahena As COC students prepares by taking drills to the next level they stay alert more than ever after finding out that recently Ohio State University had an…

Sainz Futbol Academy takes over the soccer scene in SCV

By Bryant Iriarte “Shuffle across, right to left,” says Alfredo Sainz, founder of Sainz Futbol Academy. The kids, 12 of them concentrated and focused, watch and listen as Sainz demonstrates…

Domestic violence center to host Purple Walk of Strength

The Santa Clarita Domestic Violence Center is set to hold the Purple Walk of Strength 2016 to raise awareness about domestic violence and local resources for families. The walk is modeled…

Santa Clarita resident creates eco-friendly business

Daverick Aguilar sprayed the 2015 black Scion tC with waterless car wash solution three times before he gracefully wiped the dirt off the hood of the car. “The more gentle…

Valencia High School student on road to 2016 Olympics

Stephanie Gutierrez, 17, a senior at Valencia High School, was born to be a trap shooter.

Dr. Brogdon-Wynne reminds us to “just do it”

EOPS director explains the motivation in her life.

Santa Clarita kids tumbling into summer

Summer recreational activities that will make you flip!

From Firefighter to Music Philanthropist

Jereme Ventura, Santa Clarita resident and the CEO of Animus Media Group (AMG) and Egoless Productions, turned his old life as a firefighter to start a new venture into the…

Dr. Mosleh the professor behind the laughs

Dr.Majid Mosleh is one of the most interesting professors I have ever had the pleasure of being taught by. He is a very personable man with a knack for teaching…

New addition at Carousel Ranch keeps lessons for kids going

At Carousel Ranch in Agua Dulce, children with disabilities aren’t just taking pony rides. It’s a place where they practice their body strength, speech and motor skills all on the…

SCV Search and Rescue team-local heroes or average Joes?

“We don’t consider ourselves heroes or special for doing anything like this. It’s just a group of people that have and affinity towards helping,” says Santa Clarita Search and Rescue…

Santa Clarita native, Super Bowl champ Shane Vereen given key to the city

Historic firsts continue to blaze trails in Santa Clarita as Shane Vereen, Super Bowl Champion and SCV resident par excellence, was presented the key to the city during a luncheon hosted…

EOPS can help pay for college

With the cost of higher learning trending upward, the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) office at COC can help offset some of those out of pocket expenses.

Spotlight: Nicholas Cogswell

Nicholas Cogswell is a COC student working as the equipment assistant of the New Media department. At 22 years old, Nick is moving towards the completion of an Associate of…

The Newhall Aquarium is a free place for fun and learning

If you’re looking to get up close and personal with aquatic wildlife, you don’t have to take a trip to Sea World or to The Aquarium of the Pacific. Located…

Spotlight: Carmen Gonzalez

Carmen started working in financial aid in 2001 at California State University Northridge and after exploring many different roles in the department over several years, realized that she wanted to follow this career path more passionately. In 2006 Carmen applied for a financial aid position at College of the Canyons and worked hard again to work up a latter to her current role as adviser.

The neighboring chair

By Stephanie Ramirez Students who enroll in courses at COC and other schools across the globe usually never worry about the person sitting next to them before class. But once you…

Miss Mexico US tells her story

From age 3 to now performing under the stage lights and showing off her outgoing personality has never been a fear to Setareh Khatibi, a Santa Clarita native who was…

Spotlight: Audrey Burgdorfer

Audrey Burdgorfer has been one of the nurses at COC for the past nine years.

Spotlight: DJ Walker

Cougar News reporter, Nikki Yanover sat down with sponsored Val Surf skateboarder, DJ Walker. DJ along with his friends, go to the skatepark often to relax and hang out. From street…

Spotlight: Rainel Caranto

Rainel Caranto is a personal baseball and softball instructor. He teaches students ranging from eight years old, all the way up to the collegiate ranks. His ten years of teaching…

Spotlight: Angela Janney

Angela Janney, a COC student and manager at the flash pass offices at Magic Mountain, is keeping jobs in the valley. Angela is making sure students in college, and even…

Spotlight: Peter Hepburn

COC Head Librarian, Peter Hepburn sat down with Cougar News reporter, Nikki Yanover to give us an inside look on his contributions to the library, as well as some of his hobbies…

Spotlight: Phillip Lopez

Phillip Lopez is a Ceramics Arts teacher at Golden Valley High School as well as a soccer coach. He has been teaching for 10 years and coaching for 15 years….

Spotlight: 365 Days

A New Years Resolution became an everyday life style. Anthony Garcia, a student at College of the Canyons who’s interest is photography, went above and beyond by setting a personal challenge to…

Spotlight: Fit4Moms stroller strides

Christine Beaumont, a 29-year-old mother of three, runs the Santa Clarita Fit4Moms Stroller Strides program. Fit4Moms is a nationwide franchise all over the United States as well as in Naval…

Spotlight: California drought

California is on track to have the third worst drought in it’s recorded history.

Spotlight: Michael Hamilton

After suffering a rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder, Santa Clarita native Michael Hamilton decided to change his dream of pursuing pro-baseball for becoming a deputy in the Sheriff’s…

Spotlight: Tad Griffith

Spotlight on Agua Dulce native Tad Griffith.

Spotlight: Michael Leach

Michael Leach is a professor of communication studies and directs the COC Speech Team, but he wasn’t always the great public speaker he is today.

Spotlight: Alan Ferdman

It took the joining of a motorcycle-racing club for Alan Ferdman to move to the Santa Clarita Valley, but it was the people and community that have kept him here for 49 years.

Spotlight: Susana Coronel

The community services manager for Santa Clarita offers her take on her role in the city.

Spotlight: Victoria Leonard

College of the Canyon’s Very own Victoria Leonard briefly discusses her career as a professor of communications and how she connects with her students.

Spotlight: Luke Bugbee

At first glance he seems to be your average college student. but there is something unique about this young man that sets him apart from the norm.

Lil’ Kings make hockey fun at Ice Station Valencia

Since the Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup championship in 2012, hockey has once again been on the rise in Southern California. With that rise in popularity, the LA Kings Fan…

Spotlight: Walter Scott

If you had never met him before Walter Scott would just seem like a regular old school cowboy.

Spotlight: Adam Bratt

Interview with Adam Bratt, the newspaper and yearbook adviser at Rancho Pico Junior High School.

Spotlight:Patrick Tague

Patrick Tague is an adjunct professor at COC who brings a new perspective to the Media program but gets to see the future of television by learning from his students everyday.