OCC expecting 25,000 students

Amy R. Spurgeon

COSTA MESA--It isn’t every day you can park on a college campus for free

and not worry about returning to find a pink citation attached to your

car’s windshield wiper, flapping in the wind.

Students and visitors at OCC have not had to worry about feeding the

campus parking meters since classes ended in December.

But visitors had better get their quarters ready now that OCC’s 104th

semester is ready to begin Wednesday.

“At this very second, I am stoked,” said 21-year old OCC student Many

Kirby of Santa Ana. “But come Wednesday, I am going to be nervous about

getting to class on time, whether or not I will like my teachers and if

they will like me.”

Kirby had just dropped more than $225 in the campus bookstore for five

books and an aikido martial arts booklet for his PE 120 class. Except for

the trade school he attended in Montana, Kirby hasn’t seen a classroom

since high school.

“Besides seeing all of my money get depleted really quick, it is pretty

exciting,” he said. “I am actually following up on my educational goals.”

OCC, the nation’s 23rd largest community college, opened during in fall

1948. As many as 25,000 students are expected to enroll this semester,

said James Carnett, OCC’s director of community relations.

Besides retrofitting some of the campus buildings for earthquakes and

having to delay registration by a week because of the so-called Y2K

computer bug, things have been running smoothly, he said.

“Everything has just been a little different this semester,” said Nancy

Kidder, administrative dean.

She said as many as 1,100 people filed an application for enrollment last

week on campus. The week delay in registration has caused many

last-minute applicants to scramble.

And because of earthquake retrofitting, the admissions office has been

temporarily moved to a portable building on the back side of campus,

causing confusion for some first-time students.

“We didn’t want to risk anything that first week back [with our

computers], so now we are a week behind in registration,” Carnett said.

“But looking back, we would have been OK. Everything is Y2K compliant.”

Classes will begin Wednesday, although the last day to register is Feb.

1. The semester will end May 26. The fee is $11 per unit.

For admissions, records or registration information, call (714) 432-5072.