OCC: Still growing strong

Starting its 60th year in existence, OCC opened its doors to 2008 fall semester students Monday by mixing the old with the new.

One of the biggest premiers for the school going into the 2008-09 school year is the re-opening of the Lewis Center for Applied Sciences.

Construction on the center, which was fully gutted, began more than a year ago. During construction, classes were held in portable classrooms.

But the center has reopened this fall, housing marine science, physics and geology.

“It is so new that it is squeaky new,” said marine science department chairman Dennis Kelly.

The $9 million project began about three years ago when school officials first met with architects. The project went through a series of designs and changes, before construction broke ground about a year and a half ago. When Kelly walked into the building about a week ago, he didn’t think it would be ready for school this week. Yet, when the students showed for classes Monday morning, the rooms were ready to go.

“It appears to be working, but I got my fingers crossed,” he said.

Kelly said the building hasn’t been remodeled in about 40 years, and the recent construction updated offices and classrooms, as well as gave the majors inhabited there much needed space.

“We were bursting at the seams,” Kelly said.

The center is open to students, but it is still in need of some finishing touches, including landscaping, work on a stairway and adding water and fish to the new aquarium. Kelly works with the aquarium that will have a class dedicated to it and is five times the size of the previous aquarium. Once the class gets started, Kelly anticipates the aquarium will be filled.

The school was also able to expand labs for those interested in marine science — two large labs for majors and a smaller lab for non-majors. “It is really going to change our offerings and how many students we can accommodate,” Kelly said. “All classes are full.”

OCC is celebrating significant expansions, adding programs and increasing enrollment this year.

The school is offering more than 2,100 sections and although enrollment figures haven’t been analyzed, administrators are anticipating a 3% to 5% increase compared with last year’s enrollment, according to Vice President of Instruction Melinda Nish.

“The campus looks fantastic with new buildings, remodeled buildings, landscaping and more,” Nish wrote in an e-mail to faculty and staff. “We may be getting older, but we’re getting better and better.”

To celebrate its birthday, OCC will have a party in the Quad on Sept. 10. It will be pretty easy to get all 60 candles on the cake, which will be 1,200 pounds.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE OCC?

“It’s cheap. But it is better than other ones in terms of transfer rates.”

“Financial reasons.”

“I like the location. I moved here from Oregon to go here. Plus, it is closer to my grandma’s [house], which is where I am staying.”

“I am enrolled in the culinary art program and it is a great program.”

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at [email protected].