Watson face-lift under way

Jim Carnett

Construction is under way on Orange Coast College’s Watson Hall.

The four-story Norman E. Watson Library, erected on campus in

1968, is undergoing a major renovation that -- in just 16 months --

will transform it into the new Watson Hall Student Services Complex.

The partial demolition of the 56,000-square-foot structure began

in January. The facility’s brick outer surface was removed, reducing

the building to its bare superstructure. Starting in May,

reconstruction will begin.

The $20 million project, being funded by Measure C on the November

2002 ballot, will be completed in July of 2006. The building will

begin serving students that fall.

The first floor of the remodeled facility will house the college’s

admissions, registration and records departments, and also the

Assessment Center. The second floor will accommodate OCC’s Transfer

Center, Transfer Opportunity Program, Matriculation Department,

Honors Program, International Center and Puente Program.

The third floor will consist of the Counseling Center and offices

for individual counselors. The floor will also include the Job

Placement Center and the Career Library. The fourth floor will house

the Financial Aid Office, the Re-Entry Center, the EOPS Office and

the CalWorks Program.

Conveniently located next to the athletic department parking lot,

off Fairview Road, the building will be a one-stop service center for

new students, transferring students and students who require

assistance in order to remain in college.

Departments and services housed in the new facility will come from

various other buildings on campus. Many of those buildings will be

torn down in 2007, opening a huge 22-acre Jeffersonian mall in the

center of campus.

Watson Hall is one of more than a dozen major projects scheduled

to take place on campus over the next eight years.

COAST PRESENTS

ARTS SHOWCASE

A concert that showcases OCC’s visual and performing arts programs

will be staged April 9 in Robert B. Moore Theatre.

Curtain is set for 8 p.m.

The concert will include dance, vocal performance, instruments,

drama, video performance and visual art.

“This concert answers the question: What’s going on in Orange

Coast’s Visual and Performing Arts Division?” said Dr. Ricardo Soto,

a music professor and director of the college’s symphony orchestra

and chorale.

The evening will begin with a performance by the Southern

California Children’s Chorus, under the direction of Lori Loftus. The

chorus is headquartered on OCC’s campus. The chorus will perform

movements from Vivaldi’s Gloria, accompanied by the college’s

symphony.

The 100-voice OCC Chorale will join with the symphony in

performing Ralph Vaughan Williams’ poignant liturgical meditation

“Dona Nobis Pacem.”

Following an intermission, dance instructor Amelie Hunter will

present her choreography in a modern dance piece set to music by

Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. The music will be performed by

music professor and guitarist Joseph Poshek. Poshek will be joined by

soprano Christina Navarro.

In addition to the music and dance, the work will include a

multi-media video created by OCC digital media arts and design

instructor Hillary Mushkin.

The showcase concert will conclude with scenes from OCC’s

critically acclaimed spring musical “Godspell,” directed by Beth

Hansen.

For showcase ticket information, call (714) 432-5880.

HORTICULTURE HOSTS

SPRING PLANT SALES

OCC’s ornamental horticulture department will host a series of

plant sales on four Fridays this spring.

The sales are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 15, 22, 29 and

May 6 in the horticulture garden nursery, near the Technology Center.

The most convenient public access is from the campus parking lot off

Adams Avenue.

The horticulture department is growing a variety of plants for

spring gardens. The selection includes 16 different varieties of

tomatoes; several varieties of bell and chili peppers; herbs;

scaevolas in baskets; ivy geraniums in baskets; mixed color baskets;

double impatiens; hydrangeas; herbaceous perennials; shrubs and

vines; and many other interesting plants.

Because crops will be maturing at different times during the

spring, a plant sale hotline has been established to provide

information as to which plants will be available each Friday. The

hotline number is (714) 432-0202, ext. 26533.

Proceeds from the sale go to student scholarships.

COLLEGE ATTRACTS

ATTENTION IN MARCH

More than 3,000 elementary school children and their parents

turned out on March 18 for OCC’s fifth annual Community Science

Night.

The elementary kids and their parents visited labs and viewed

demonstrations representing such programs and departments as anatomy

and physiology, astronomy, aviation technology, biology,

cardiovascular technology, chemistry, geology, machine technology,

marine science, physics, respiratory science, woodworking and

zoology.

On March 22, 5,000 high school seniors were on hand for OCC’s 22nd

High School Senior Day.

Seniors received early registration materials for fall 2005

classes and a Senior Day T-shirt. They took part in OCC preview

sessions, campus tours, math and English placement testing and a free

barbecue.

* JIM CARNETT is senior director of community relations at Orange

Coast College. He writes the biweekly On Campus at OCC Column. Reach

him at jcarnett@occ.cccd.edu or by calling (714) 432-5725.