Dr. Jewel Price, dean of student services, and Glady Kabateck, director of the alumni association, welcomed almost 60 guests to the annual Alumni Association Open House, held Thursday evening in Los Robles Culinary Art Center.

Members of the association, faculty, staff and the public were invited to the informal gathering organized by Kabateck with help from Assistant Director Linda Kuntze and Vice President Raffi Melkonian.

Guests were treated to a display of photographs from the archives, celebrating GCC’s 75-year history, and entertained by the music of Bill Hyland and Dick Snyder on keyboards and bass, as they dined on mini pizzas and other delights prepared by chef Anthony Battaglia and his Culinary Arts Center staff.

Among the guests was Dr. Peggy Renner representing the academic senate, Lois Edwards of the patrons’ club and board of trustee members Anita Quinonez Gabrielian and Dr. Martin Pilgreen.

Also enjoying the evening was a true GCC family: faculty member Phillip Kazanjian was there with his alumni wife Wendy and their 9-year-old son, John, a graduate of the GCC Child Development Center.

In her welcoming speech alumni association President Armenuhi Andzhu congratulated and thanked the members of the board of trustees and the administration for their support and commitment, without which she said, “GCC would not be where it is today, at the forefront of excellence.”

Dr. Price described the evening as an opportunity “to do what makes belonging fun: being with friends, and seeing what’s going on.”

Both ASGCC President Antonino Patti and Student Activities Coordinator Alen Andriassian praised and thanked the alumni association for their scholarship program, while board of trustee member Dr. Armine Hacopian made a plea to members of the community to “Give our students a hand” when hiring staff.
President Davitt ended the evening by congratulating the association for “Bringing people in the community together.”

“The alumni association is a testimony to what’s going on here,” he said, and thanked everyone for their work on Measure G last March. The money from this measure will ensure the completion of the Cimmarusti Science Center, scheduled for completion in Sept. 2003.