CSUN PROF MAKES SPLASH WITH COURSES.Byline: Jenifer Hanrahan John Van Arsdale
This page or section lists people with the surname Van Arsdale. isn't your typical college professor. Instead of tweed and loafers “Penny loafer” redirects here. For the collegiate a cappella group, see Penny Loafers. Loafers or penny loafers are low, leather step-in shoes usually with moccasin construction, with broad flat heels. They first appeared in the mid 1930s. , Van Arsdale heads to his office at daybreak wearing shorts and flip-flops. His students do not have to spend a single moment in a stuffy library or lecture hall lecture hall n → sala de conferencias; (UNIV) → aula lecture hall lecture n → amphithéâtre m . Instead, they are more likely to be found basking in the sun or splish-splashing in the refreshing water of Castaic Lake Castaic Lake is a lake on Castaic Creek formed by Castaic Dam, in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, near the town of Castaic. The 323,700 acre foot lake (399,000,000 m³) is the terminus of the West Branch of the California Aqueduct, though some comes from the 154 mi² in the foothills of the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. . And the tools of learning are not books, but Jet Skis, sailboats and kayaks. A professor of leisure studies and recreation, Van Arsdale is director of the Cal State Northridge Aquatic Center at Lower Castaic Lake, a program that teaches fledgling mariners of all ages the basics of canoeing, sailing, windsurfing windsurfing, also called boardsailing or sailboarding, water sport that employs a board-and-sail device and combines elements of sailing and surfing. The sport was developed in the United States during the 1960s by the Californians Jim Drake, a sailor, and Hoyle , fishing, kayaking, waterskiing and boating safety. Van Arsdale, 51, started the nautical center 20 years ago with a single boat and a water-skiing class offered through the university's continuing-education program. This year, more than 7,500 students enrolled in programs taught by Van Arsdale and his staff of 15. Pupils made use of more than 50 sailboats, power boats, canoes, kayaks and personal watercraft personal watercraft n. 1. A motorized recreational water vehicle normally ridden by straddling a seat. 2. (used with a pl. verb) Such water vehicles considered as a group. . The program has grown so much that it's self-supporting through fees, grants and donations, meaning it's insulated from budget cuts. However incongruous a professor of leisure studies seems, Van Arsdale is driven by the philosophy that Americans need to learn to make better use of their free time for good health. ``How many hours do children spend in front of the television doing something that's not good for them?'' Van Arsdale said. ``We teach them sailing, windsurfing and how to be safe near the water.'' While there are for-credit courses set aside for CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge students, there is also an extensive array of offerings open to the public. On weekends, the Aquatic Center hosts Camp Nautique, a program that teaches low-income youths, ages 6 to 15, the ways of the water. ``I love working with kids, hopefully making an impact on their life,'' Van Arsdale said. ``Many of these kids have never caught a fish before or sailed or done any of this stuff.'' Many of the teen-agers have been referred to the program by police, school counselors or the courts. Trips to the Aquatic Center are important components of the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Police Department's Jeopardy Program for youths who are beginning to associate with gangs or who have gotten into trouble for truancy. Officer Ingrid Langrehr has taken several hundred San FernandoValley youngsters on overnight trips to the lake in the past two years. Van Arsdale's patience, expertise and attention to safety boosts the children's self-confidence while teaching them teamwork and leadership, Langrehr said. ``I saw a real change in the kids,'' Langrehr said. ``They learn how to watch out for each other and for the younger kids. They behave a lot better.'' College students majoring in leisure studies can earn internship credit by working at the Aquatic Center and might go on to work as park directors, golf pros, athletic-club or amusement-park managers or to run therapeutic-activity programs in nursing homes and hospitals. The center, which is run in cooperation with the county Department of Parks and Recreation and the state Department of Boating and Waterways, offers boating-safety certification courses and serves as the Regional Boating Safety Center. Competitive water-ski teams from CSUN, USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. and UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX practice at the lake several times a week. (Van Arsdale is also the coach, or rather, ``faculty advisor,'' for CSUN's team.) The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department This article is about the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, not to be confused with the smaller Los Angeles County Police The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is a local law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. and county lifeguards spend time there training for patrol duties on Jet Skis. The Cal State Northridge Aquatic Center is open year-round from Monday through Saturday, except from Dec. 15 through Feb. 1. For information about programs, call (805) 257-0571. Fees for the classes vary and many are filled several months in advance. MEMO: Staff writer Jenifer Hanrahan's water-sports column appears monthly in the Daily News. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (color) Cal State Northridge professor John Van Arsd ale watched students maneuver a sailboat around the ``classroom'' at Lake Castaic. Gene Blevins / Special to the Daily News |
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