A piece of college life

Marisa O’Neil

A casual observer taking a walk on the Orange Coast College campus

might wonder why students keep looking younger and younger.

Some students look barely old enough to be out of high school --

and, in fact, they’re not. About 60 of them are students at Middle

College High School, which is part of the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District but sits on a corner of the college’s campus.

In addition to their regular high school classes, Middle College

students must take at least three academic units at OCC. But half of

the high school’s students take six or more units, which they can use

to transfer to a four-year college, Principal Bob Nanney said.

“When they’re in OCC classes, they’re treated like any other

college student,” Nanney said. “Nearly all of them rise to the

occasion to the point that professors don’t even know they’re high

school students.”

The school appeals to students who aren’t getting enough out of a

traditional high school or who don’t feel challenged academically,

Nanney said. Any Newport-Mesa junior or senior can apply to the

school.

Students who attend Middle College take classes such as Charlotte

Zaremba’s computer class, where they learn how to create PowerPoint

presentations. Last week, each student made a presentation on a

famous person of his or her choice.

Selections included actors, world leaders and historical figures,

such as one colorful Viking.

“His name’s ‘Erik the Red,’” 17-year-old Peter Hartwich said. “You

can’t get a name like that without being [tough].”

Bianka Fimbres, 16, did hers on actor and United Nations activist

Angelina Jolie. The presentation included photographs of Jolie, a

filmography, quotes and a description of her unconventional family

life -- including two ex-husbands, an adopted son and an estranged

father.

“I put ‘Family Life’ in quotes because I didn’t know what else to

call it,” Fimbres told the class.

From there, the presentations took a 180-degree turn as Monica

White, 17, did hers on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

“Here we are, going from Angelina Jolie to Yasser Arafat,” Zaremba

said. “I don’t think that it gets any different than that.”

* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot

education writer Marisa O’Neil visits a campus in the Newport-Mesa

area and writes about her experience.