OCC’s fall semester starts off sweetly

Amy R. Spurgeon

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE -- It was a typical first day back to school

Monday for thousands of community college students.

Long registration lines, a list of required texts and a cup of coffee

before class -- along with high aspirations for the upcoming semester.

Though the fall semester officially started two weeks ago with 18-week

courses, Monday was the beginning of a new 16-week program for the

college.

The shorter schedule will align OCC with the California State

University system and enable students to take more classes during holiday

intersessions, which are held during winter break.

By next year, OCC officials expect to be completely adapted to the

shorter calendar.

But effects of the two-tiered schedule could be seen Monday.

Shaun Murphy stood among his peers in the long registration line at

noon Monday, scrambling to find classes. The Northern California resident

enrolled at OCC this semester after landing a job in Newport Beach.

“It’s kind of worse because it’s going to take people longer to get

back into the swing of things,” said Murphy, 22, who peeked over the

shoulder of a fellow student, trying to get a glance at the freshly

printed open class list.

Dotting the campus were booths operated by clubs, employers, coffee

vendors and religious groups -- all evidence that the school was open and

ready for business.

But foot traffic in the book store was obviously lessened by the

two-week gap between classes. Many students had already purchased

supplies during the last couple of weeks.

College officials said 70% of the expected 25,000 students this

semester started classes Monday.

Students not only have to adjust to a new schedule but to campus

construction. OCC recently broke ground on a new $15-million arts center

and several buildings are being earthquake retrofitted.

Come mid-September, the library will undergo a facelift and

retrofitting. All books will be transported to temporary buildings on

campus until work is complete next year, school officials said.

But hands down, the sweetest addition to the 52-year-old campus this

fall will be the introduction of Original Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts

in the main cafeteria. According to Thomas Selzer, OCC’s food service

general manager, the school was approached by Krispy Kreme officials

earlier in the year to sell the baked goods.

The sweet confections will be available in four to sixweeks. “They

seem to be very hot right now,” Selzer said.