The campus center was alive Monday, Sept. 11, as students and faculty alike enjoyed commemorating Moorpark College’s 50th birthday, complete with food and a special presentation by History Professor Patty Colman.

Fifty years of success is worth celebrating. Even though we started our day reverentially, honoring the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, it is now time for us to all celebrate the birthday of this great college,” said President Luis Sanchez.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the college’s opening, which originally took place Sept. 11, 1967, a writing wall, cupcakes and a live broadcast of student radio station KMCJ were set up in the campus center, while 60’s era music played from speakers.

Sanchez led the commencement with the cutting of a raider-shaped cake, alongside Associated Student President Payton Robinson, Communications major, 19.

“Just a short quiz,” said Sanchez. “Are we the 10th best community college in the nation? Ninth? Eighth?… Fourth? Fourth best community college out of 12 or 13,000 across the nation. That’s not bad, and it’s thanks to you.”

The 50th anniversary celebration also included the inauguration of the Moorpark College makerspace, an area devoted to hands-on learning, as well as the grand opening of the student art gallery, located in the applied arts building. A writing wall was even put up on the side of the campus center, and students were more than excited to share their opinions on the college.

“Moorpark College is really helping me move on to a better opportunity,” said general studies major Hannah Hunter, 24.

Others, who were new to the college, shared their thoughts so far.

“It’s my first year in college so it is very exciting to be a part of it,” said Remy Mendez, Nursing Major, 26. “So far, I feel like a butterfly just ready to bloom at Moorpark College.”

AS President Robinson even shared his own sentiments.

“I like to say that Moorpark college has allowed me to build myself and create the life I want to live,” said Robinson. “For example, in high school, I took classes and I wasn’t very prepared for a university style college, so it’s giving me a second chance to build up to that point where I need to be.

“Moorpark College in general is a great institution…it’s the true democratic institution, it takes the students, it takes the community. You see the UCs and the CSUs kind of tend to the upper middle class range of students, but there’s no education, there’s no college out there besides community colleges to really pull in the masses of our society, you know, the low income, the people who didn’t get the full high school experience, it takes in everyone who still needs to learn…it gives you an opportunity to grow as an individual, whether you’re 18 or 85.”

A captioned version of this video can be found here.