August 4, 2010 (El Cajon) -- Grossmont College Athletics Dept. and men’s basketball coach Doug Weber invite boys and girls entering the 3rd through 8th grades to Grossmont College’s annual youth summer basketball camp from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Thursday, Aug. 9-12.

Longtime instructor and musician will oversee arts, languages and communication department; aims to build performing arts center for campus

East County News Service

July 27, 2010 (El Cajon) – Steve Baker has been named dean of the department of arts, languages and communication at Grossmont College. Baker began his career with the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District as a music instructor in 1985, and has taught at both Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges. At Grossmont, he was music department chair and interim dean before his latest appointment.

Baker has been a professional musician for over 40 years. In his career as a pianist, he has performed with numerous national and international recording artists. The Steve Baker Trio specializes in Brazilian and Afro-Cuban-influenced jazz and performs in varied venues.

July 27, 2010 (El Cajon) -- Grossmont College Adult Reentry Program will host “Your Tomorrow Starts Here,” a free informational meeting for adults interested in returning to school to reenter the workforce, learn a new career, earn a college diploma or upgrade their skills for a job promotion, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3, in Room 220 on the college campus. Admission and parking are free.

Nearly 5,000 students on waiting lists due to 50% cutback in classes;
veterans on G.I. bill and students on financial aid risk losing funds

East County News Service

June 21, 2010 (El Cajon) – Higher education funding cuts due to the California state budget crisis have forced Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District to severely reduce summer course sections, despite growing demands for classes from students seeking to retrain for new careers and complete general education requirements to transfer to four-year universities and colleges.

Despite efforts to keep budget cuts from harming students, the colleges have been forced to slash summer offerings by 50%.

June 7, 2010 (El Cajon)--At 39 weeks along in her pregnancy, Nicole waited in line to walk at Grossmont College’s 49th annual commencement on June 3, when her water broke signaling the delivery of her fourth child. The 28-year-old didn’t want to leave the college and go to the hospital, while 4,000 people waited to celebrate the 1,398 students in the Class of 2010 receiving an associate degree or a certificate of achievement.

May 10, 2010 (El Cajon) -- The Grossmont College Guitar Guild will present a performance by Grossmont College Music Dept. classical guitar instructor Robert Wetzel starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 15, at Room 221 on campus. The public is invited to attend.

March 17, 2010 (El Cajon) – Rocket launchings, flying rubber-band powered airplanes and forensic crime scene exhibits were among the displays at the Southern California Regional Science Decathlon. The regional event was hosted at Grossmont College for the fourth consecutive year.

March 5, 2010 (El Cajon) -- The Grossmont College Career Center will host “Be A Star Performer,” a free informational meeting on soft skills that can give you an edge in your job search and career success, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 11, at the Career Center, Room 627, on the college campus.

March 2, 2010 (El Cajon ) – The Grossmont College Theatre Arts Department presents “I Love You Because,“ a romantic musical comedy. The production will be presented March 11-13 and March 17-20 at 7:30 p.m., as well as 2 p.m. matinees on March 13 and 20 in the Stagehouse Theatre. Critics hail it as “a charming piece of work that will send you home smiling” (The Wall Street Journal) and “terrific, refreshing fun-filled with wit and zest” (New York Times).

March 2, 2010 (El Cajon)-- Grossmont College Hyde Art Gallery will present “Ceramic Works,” a free exhibit of ceramic artwork by Patsy Cox and Eric Rempe, on display from March 15 to April 22. The exhibit is open to the public.

A new report from Grossmont College says the number of Grossmont students applying to receive financial aid is increasing, along with the amount of dollars disbursed in tuition assistance.

Michael Copenhaver, Grossmont College director of financial aid, said the number of students completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is 31 percent higher for a12-month time period from January to December 2009, compared to the same 12-month period in 2008.

January 16, 2010 (El Cajon) -- Grossmont College Hyde Art Gallery presents “Connectivity,” a showing by artist Miya Hannan, from January 25-February 25. An opening event in honor of the artist will be on Tuesday, February 5th, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

December 22, 2009 (El Cajon)--The Grossmont College Lady Griffs women’s basketball team is hosting its 22nd annual Grossmont College Holiday Tournament, Dec. 28-30, at Grossmont College. The public is invited to attend. Eight teams will compete in the three-day tournament, including seven teams from California community colleges -- Grossmont, San Diego Mesa, Bakersfield, Saddleback, Mount San Jacinto and Reedley -- as well as a team from Lethbridge College from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Judy Garrett recalls father’s love of teaching in community colleges

December 14, 2009 (El Cajon) – – Honoring a family member’s devotion to community college students during a teaching career spanning more than two decades, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Governing Board President Bill Garrett and his wife, Judy, have donated $13,500 to a scholarship fund at each of the district’s two colleges, for a total gift of $27,000.

December 3, 2009 (El Cajon) -- Breaking Boundaries” is an annual dance concert choreographed and performed by Grossmont College dance students.  The Fall 2009 concert will showcase a variety of dance genres including ballet, jazz, modern, and hip hop. 

December 2, 2009 (El Cajon)--The Grossmont College Music Department’s Jazz Ensemble will perform a holiday program starting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10, at the Cuyamaca College Arts Center auditorium, 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, in El Cajon. The public is invited to attend.

November 13, 2009 (El Cajon) -- -- A public memorial service for former Grossmont College softball player Kyrstin Gemar, 22, will be held at on Saturday morning, November 14, 2009 11 a.m. at Grossmont College, 8800 Grossmont College Dr., El Cajon. The public memorial service will be held at the college's Main Quad area, where graduation ceremonies are traditionally held. The family expects more than 500 people to attend.

October 22, 2009 (El Cajon) – In this era of budget cutbacks, community colleges are struggling to accommodate more students on less money. You can help by attending the Grosssmont College Foundation’s eight annual gala this Saturday, October 24th, at the Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino. The Foundation raises funds to support Grossmont College students and educational programs.

The Grossmont College Foundation, a fund-raising organization that supports Grossmont College students and educational programs, will host its 2009 Dinner Gala and Auction fund-raiser on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino. The public is invited to attend.

The Foundation’s Gala, the eighth annual, will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a reception and silent auction, followed by dinner starting at 7 p.m., live auction and live entertainment by student performers. More than 130 auction items will be available to the highest bidder.

October 13, 2009 (El Cajon)--Grossmont College’s Arabic Club will host a free lecture by Israeli activist Mike Peled, author of “The General’s Son: The Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, in Room 220, a lecture hall on campus. The title for Peled’s lecture is “Is Israel the new South Africa?” The public is invited to attend. Admission is free. Peled will discuss the current conditions for the Palestinian people, how Israel justifies the occupation, how American beliefs about Israel have been molded and skewed and possible solutions to the crisis.

October 8, 2009 (El Cajon)--Grossmont College Career Center will present four free career workshops on campus at the Career Center office, Room 627, located adjacent to the Student Center, during its 2009 Career Week, Oct. 19 to 22. The public is invited to attend.

The free workshops include: “Job Search Tips” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19; “Career Pathways in Health Care” from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20; “Green Careers and Renewable Energy” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21; and “Meeting the Needs of Veterans” from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22.

October 7, 2009 (El Cajon) -- Grossmont College guitar instructor Fred Benedetti, chair of the Grossmont College guitar studies department, will perform at a concert benefiting the Grossmont College Guitar Guild starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, at the college’s recital hall, Room 220. The public is invited to attend.

Students hail long-awaited project

August 21, 2009 (El Cajon)– –Hundreds of students, faculty and community members turned out Monday, August 17 at a party atop a new $24.5 million parking garage at Grossmont College, celebrating the grand opening of the long-awaited facility, which includes a 3,200 square foot structure to house campus police. A collection of vintage cars and a caravan of new cars courtesy of local car dealers heralded the opening ceremonies, along with a ribbon-cutting and speeches by local officials.

Story and photos by Takayuki Higuchi

In this exclusive interview, Chris Klich shares his insights and inspirations with East County Magazine. A native San Diegan and music instructor at Grossmont College, he has been performing professionally for 26 years, including appearances in East County with his Chris Klich Jazz Quintet. He has toured across America and around the world, playing everything from jazz to blues to swing to top-40. To hear his music and learn more, visit http://www.chrisklich.com/.

August 9, 2009 (San Diego) -- Calm, hard-working, caring, expressive…There are so many words to describe Chris Klich. However, there is one thing on which everyone would agree: he is one of our region’s most notable jazz musicians.

August 3, 2009 (El Cajon)  Grossmont College in El Cajon will host a one-day film festival featuring 20 films produced by students and independent filmmakers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8. The public is invited to attend. An all-day admission ticket is $5. In addition to film viewing, workshops will be delivered on script writing, casting calls and tips on how to make a film for under $500.

Student leader tasked with keeping state board attuned

August 1 2009 (El Cajon) – Marc Valenzuela, Grossmont College’s new student body president, has a busy year ahead--including his latest appointment as a student liaison to the California Community Colleges’ Board of Governors.

Valenzuela, who also represents the nine community colleges in San Diego and Imperial counties on the Student Senate of California Community Colleges, has been selected as one of two Student Senate representatives to attend the monthly BOG meetings in Sacramento.

July 28, 2009 (El Cajon)--The Administration of Justice (AOJ) Department at Grossmont College has been selected to host the 10th annual meeting of the Academy of Behavioral Profiling (ABP), an international law enforcement industry trade group, t Aug. 8-11.  The ABP’s annual meeting will be a four-day training with lectures on criminal profiling topics such as criminal psychology, crime scene characteristics, motive, victimology, ethics, forensic science and crime reconstruction.

ABP members will deliver lectures based on recent casework, research and legal decisions in the field. Forensic, investigative and behavioral science professionals from around the world will be on campus for this prestigious event.  The public is invited to attend. 

FAFSA, the federal government’s instrument for calculating need-based aid, is used by colleges and universities to determine financial aid eligibility for federal and state aid programs. Historically, a majority of the FAFSA applications received by the college are completed during the first half of the year, Copenhaver added.

July 20, 2009 (El Cajon)--The Grossmont College Athletics Dept. and Grossmont College men’s basketball coach Doug Weber is inviting all boys and girls entering the 3rd through 8th grades to Grossmont College’s first annual youth basketball camp, from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, Aug. 10-14. The camp will feature instruction on fundamental skills, group and individual contests and three-on-three tournaments.

July 15, 2009 (El Cajon)--The Grossmont College Foundation, a fund-raising organization that benefits Grossmont College students and educational programs, has announced that it has received a $30,000 grant from Abbott Vascular, one of the world’s leading vascular care businesses. The grant will benefit Grossmont students who are enrolled in the college’s cardio-vascular technology (CVT) program.