The VC Press blends so much of what I love to do. Monday begins with a blank slate and by Friday pages are sent to the printer full of news and images. In between, the week flies by as I teach basic journalism to my students, who are thoughtful, bright and, at times, contrary.
I truly enjoyed my short tenure with the fine folks involved with the VC Press. Early on, I detected the hard work and perseverance the writers, editors and photographers provided the readership of Ventura College's newspaper. I also witnessed a great camaraderie between staff members and teaching staff.
More than just a class, journalism was my way to get out into the world and see and do things I would never otherwise have dreamed of doing. Walking through those doors changed my life for the better. I have lost all trace of shyness and stuttering, gained confidence through conducting interviews and competing in JACC (Journalism Association of Community Colleges) competitions, winning second place in Team Feature my first year at that conference.
Before the VC Press, I was without direction. I had changed my major numerous times and still hadn't decided on my future. Then, a year and a half ago, I took what I deemed to be a pretty easy class called Writing for Communication. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Two years ago, I was the only girl on the editorial staff at the VC Press. Now women are the majority. On long production nights we would have pizza and a cigarette outside to unwind from deadlines and layouts, moments that haven't been written about but that I will remember.
The VC Press provided the perfect opportunity to improve my writing abilities. I was able to hone my skills as a sports writer and gain several new friends and mentors. Ventura College sports programs are second to none and were enjoyable to cover. In addition, the location of the VC Press allowed me to earn my Associate of Arts degree in journalism while freelancing with the Ventura County Star.
Being on the staff has been an experience I will never forget. Well, I shouldn't because I was always in Trailer 4 doing who knows what. I will remember the people I met on staff. I would also like to thank you, the readers, for supporting us. I would also like to thank the student athletes and coaches who gave their time for interviews and for putting up with me.
Growing numbers of abused and neglected children and diminishing resources, plus some personal medical dramas, convinced me after 20-plus years to choose a substantial reduction in lifestyle. A passion for the English language led me to a course in editing, never suspecting it would prepare me for the job of copy editing.
Working on the VC Press has been the best educational experience of my life. A former schoolteacher with a BA in communications, I wanted to develop my photography skills. Journalism classes encouraged that as I photographed sports, news events, speakers, theatre arts, portraits, wild art, children and so much more.
Writing for the VC Press has been an experience I will never forget. It's made me feel like an important part of my campus and introduced me to caring, bright people who have helped and motivated me along the way. It's taught me how to talk to just about anyone.
Journalism has affected my life in tremendous ways, including giving me the confidence to interact with others in a meaningful way. It enabled me to approach others in the belief that my opinion mattered as much as the next person's. I will never forget the great personalities I met because this program existed, and I hope that journalism will survive so that other college students may benefit the way I have.
I learned to push my limits and to set them firmly in place. I have depended on others and been depended upon in return. I am a team and an individual. Without the VC Press, I would not have become a photojournalist. I could have taken photo classes, but actually being in the field gave me the confidence to pursue an artistic outlet I had long forgotten to indulge.
I am vexed. The importance of this program has been gravely overlooked. I've gone through a lot of majors and just as many schools to find anything I could stick with, and now to have it ripped away from me is crushing. Though I'll finish my time here at VC with much satisfaction in what I've accomplished on this paper, there will be a great sense of loss for what might have been.
The VC Press has given me a platform to express what I believe is the truth. It has given me opportunities to research topics I believe were important to students. Editors, reporters and all the others who have pushed themselves to the limits have made this paper an award-winner.
A certified chef, I once owned my own restaurant. Since an accident at work, I am a 45-year-old re-entry student with permanent physical disabilities. Rehabilitation led to a multimedia-graphic design certificate, but I wanted Quark Express skills, which I found in VC journalism.
To me, the VC Press means history. Do you want to know how people at VC were affected by the Depression? Go look in the archives. Anything important that has happened in the last 80 years is documented in the VC Press. It is the soul of the campus; it informs all students about what is happening and how it affects them.
Through writing and being an editor for the VC Press, I made new friends and met inspiring people. Learning to work closely and successfully with other staff, surprisingly, helped me to succeed with individual work in and outside the newsroom. In all honesty, the VC Press also taught me that I do not ever want to be an editor, as I'd like to keep my sanity! I embrace my position as a writer, however, because I'm passionate about hearing other people's stories and putting their lives in writing.
I chose to attend VC because I had no idea what career I wanted to pursue. My first three semesters were dismal, to say the least. I was unmotivated, hated driving 11 miles to school everyday and still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. All that changed when I enrolled in three journalism classes this semester.
The VC Press has truly become the "voice of VC" for me. It was here to speak for the students and staff to the very end. It has done that with a distinct style, passionate staff and deep devotion to the college. At the end of this semester I walk away feeling honored to have been a part of something that held so much esteem and carried so many people and stories through its 80-year run.
The VC Press has taught me a great deal about the world of journalism. Through this class I have not only discovered the skills that are needed in the field, but some aspects of the lifestyle as well. I have found that learning what needs to be learned in a field is good, but knowing what life would be like in that field is better.
The VC press has taught me a lot, not only about journalism, but about the college and community as a whole. Through the newspaper, I have built relationships with more of my peers in the past semester than in the two years I have been at a community college.
I have enjoyed photojournalism for the most part this last semester at the VC Press. I'm sorry not to have taken a lot more photographs for the newspaper, but I enjoyed what I did and I hope to continue taking photography classes to improve my skills. I have especially enjoyed the sense of teamwork as the staff comes together to get the newspaper out every week.
The VC Press welcomed this latecomer in with open arms after I missed the enrollment date. Being from Texas with no portfolio to back me up, my future looked very dim. I was thrilled to take a position as press photographer, my first experience of how a newspaper is assembled and an opportunity to build my personal portfolio.
Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I joined the staff of the VC Press. Reluctant at first, I now realize the value and significance of the paper. It has done so much for me, given me reality, education and, most importantly, a voice. It has exposed me to the realities we face as students and given me the irreplaceable opportunity to report on them.