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OC ALUM STORY DR. LOIS M. SOMERVILLE (Associate of Arts '79) My father died when I was 13, so I only had four years to attend college with his Social Security benefit. My dream was to become a doctor, and I graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1973. From 1974-86 I owned a large chiropractic office on Sylvan Way and later moved to 11th and Park Avenue in Bremerton. I was a member of the Bremerton Sons of Norway Lodge and the Elizabeth Ellington Chapter of the DAR. In 1974, there were only a few states that accepted chiropractors to be licensed without undergraduate degrees, so I completed an Associates of Arts degree in 1979 at Olympic College. In 1986 I passed the Florida chiropractic boards. I have been practicing in Lake Mary, FL for the past 32 years. Two of my children were adopted when I lived in Bremerton and now they, their brother, and my three step-children have given me 9 grandchildren! I took them skiing in Aspen this last winter and discovered that I can still ski because of the practice I had at Trollhaugen (Sons of Norway) Lodge and Snoqualmie Pass at Ski Acres. I have traveled to all 50 states and 15 foreign countries and appreciate Olympic College for helping me to achieve my dreams!
Thank you for sharing your story, Lois! P. 1 OLYMPIC COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Pictured above: Dr. Lois Somerville at her Bremerton office, and in Florida with one of her grandchildren
SUMMIT M AG A Z I N E VO L . 4 AU T U M N 2 0 1 7 The SUMMIT Magazine is published by the Olympic College Foundation for the Alumni Association and celebrates the successes and stories of Olympic College students, alumni, and employees by promoting them throughout the community. This publication aims to educate its readers, engage stakeholders and recognize donors through compelling stories and images. We thank you for picking up this copy and we hope you enjoy the read. If you would like to suggest a story or find out more about our magazine, contact us. EDITORS David Emmons, Terri Gleich, Ruth Ross Saucier WRITERS Terri Gleich, Susan Strachan PHOTOGRAPHER Logan Westom Photography DESIGN Gretchen Ritter-Lopatowski ADDRESS CHANGES Please go to the website www.olympic.edu/alumni or call (360) 475-7120 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICE 1600 Chester Avenue, CSC 530 Bremerton, WA 98337 (360) 475-7120 alumni@olympic.edu ON THE COVER Olympic College CIC Building interior during construction in July 2017; From top 1) OC Bremerton Campus in the Autumn. 2) Professor Bill Harvey running through a script, 1964; 3) CIC Building during the smoke haze in August 2017; 4) OC Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Dr. Pete Defour (far right), Track & Field, 1950. Contents may be reprinted with permission of the editor. This magazine is printed on FSC Certified paper. Please recycle when finished reading. Olympic College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.
CONTENTS 3 VOICE OF THE PRESIDENT 4 EVENTS CALENDAR 5 FEATURED 7 GIVING 11 NOTEWORTHY 15 WHAT'S AHEAD 20 PROFILES 21 IN THE NEWS
5
He taught me more about working with people and organizing things than I ever learned in business school. - Catherine Worley, Bill Harvey: All The World's A Stage
It's like going from the 18th century to the 21st century. - Marie Weichman, The CIC
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11
It's a great local institution that's nationally ranked... - Aaron Leavell, Reverse Transfer
OC ALUM SHARE YOUR STORY! Let us know what you are doing keep us posted and include photos! Send news to: Olympic College Alumni Association, 1600 Chester Avenue #CSC 530, Bremerton, WA 98337 or alumni@olympic.edu. We will publish as many class notes as space permits. < The Hill family took OC gear to the mountaintop while vacationing in the Swiss Alps, Schilthorn Switzerland.
VOICE
OF THE PRES ID ENT
O
ne of the best things about being president of Olympic College is the strong connection between the college and the community. There’s a kinship and support that is rare for a college and community that are so large.
When I speak to a service club and ask how many people attended OC or know someone who has, almost everybody in the room raises their hand. During my tenure of more than 15 years as president, nearly 28,000 students earned associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, technical certificates, or high school diplomas at OC. As I prepare to retire in December, I’m gratified to have been part of an institution that has such a profound daily impact not only on individual students, but also on Kitsap and Mason counties. People in the community view it as their college – and it is. In this issue of Summit, you’ll find articles about topics that epitomize that connection: • The new College Instruction Center, which opens this winter and includes the William D. Harvey Theatre, is both an innovative learning hub for students and a fine and performing arts center that will bring the community to campus. (Page 11) • The Donors & Scholars Celebration is a highlight of the year that links community supporters of the college to the students they’re helping and leaves everyone feeling inspired. (Page 9)
• The Olympic College Athletics Hall of Fame inducted its inaugural class for Ranger athletics in June and honored outstanding athletes and coaches throughout the college's 70-year history, as well as from the 2016-17 academic year. (Page 19) One of the ways OC is furthering the college-community connection is with our four year-old alumni association and with Summit, our alumni and friends magazine. We want to stay in touch with you. Please send news and photos to alumni@olympic.edu and Summit will publish as many class notes as space allows. Thanks to the hard work of everyone at this college and the support of our community and alumni, OC is well-positioned for a new leader and for future challenges and opportunities. Signs of success abound, including winning a national award for the college’s partnership with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, and being named a top-10 finalist for the Aspen Prize in 2015, which recognizes high achievement and performance, and goes to only 1 percent of the nation’s community colleges.
P. 3 OLYMPIC COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
President Mitchell presenting student Victoria Williams with the Bernice Mitchell Scholarship
It’s been an honor to lead this college. I look forward to continuing to support its mission after retirement as a donor; I invite all of you to join me. See you at next year’s Donors & Scholars Celebration, if not sooner. David C. Mitchell, Ph.D.
OLYMPIC COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Harriette Bryant Beverly Cheney Jim Page '79
Darlene Peters Stephen Warner
OC FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT Jim Sund VICE PRESIDENT/ PRESIDENT ELECT Timothy Drury VICE PRESIDENT Mark Hughes '94 SECRETARY, EX OFFICIO Dr. David Mitchell TREASURER Diana Smeland '82
AT LARGE Cindy Lucarelli CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR Dr. Nathan Schlicher '99 GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR Kevin Wiley '93 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Monica Blackwood '96
BOARD MEMBERS Dr. Damon A. Bell Peter Braun Barb Brenner Harriette Bryant Sheila Collins Gayle Dilling, Ex Officio David Emmons, Ex Officio
Tracy Flood '92 Meredith Green Rita Mitchell Ruth Ross Saucier '77 Enrico Sio Sunny Wheeler Kate Wilson
EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS Doug Berger Jeff Brein Shannon Childs Tracy DiGiovanni Duane Edwards Lynn Finlay Klaus Golombek Marilee Hansen Drew Hansen Joan Hanten William Harvey '59 Joanne Haselwood
Michael Levi William Maiers Arthur McCarty Jim Page '79 Carolyn Powers James Robinson Kathleen Sanford Douglas Sayan Dr. Pankaj Sharma Barbara Stephenson Dr. Warren Van Zee
2017–2018 EV E NTS
CALENDAR
OCT
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9 MON
mischief managed
est.
1995
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
FEB
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SPEAKER SERIES
Professor Amy Lawrence
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Vote for our OC Mardi Gras float at the Clearwater Casino & Resort! Any awards goes toward student scholarships.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
Hope you have a faBOOlous day!
14 WE D
NOV 2 THU RS
VALENTINE DINNER
Bring your sweetheart and enjoy an OC Culinary Institute treat!
Professor Marie Weichman - Art in a Chaotic World
23 THU RS
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
TU E S
MARDI GRAS SERVICE PARADE
SPEAKER SERIES
26 MON
ADMIRAL ALUMNI NIGHT OUT
Gather together, give thanks, and eat pie! Save the date for #GivingTuesday on November 28th too and give to OC!
At the annual Donors & Scholars Celebration twenty-three former Olympic College Foundation Board members were bestowed the title of Emeritus Board Member. Pictured above: front row from left - Monica Blackwood, Tracy DiGiovanni, Marilee Hansen and Barbara Stephenson. Back row from left - Shannon Childs, Joan Hanten, Joanne Haselwood, Audrey Robinson and Jim Page.
1 THU RS
Get your tickets today for America's Got Talent Mandy Harvey and join us for our 2nd annual Admiral Theatre Alumni Night! www.admiraltheatre.org
D EC HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Warmest winter wishes for an enchanted holiday season!
SUMMIT MAGAZINE | VOL.4 | AUTUMN 2017 P. 4
Much Ado About Nothing rehearsal, 1965
B ILL HARVE Y A L L T HE WO R L D ' S A S TAG E W R I T T E N BY T E R R I G L E I C H
W
hen theater professor Bill Harvey mounted an Olympic College production of “Lysistrata” during the early years of the Vietnam War, the publicity poster featured the anti-war slogan, “Make Love, Not War.”
It was deliberately provocative and OC administrators feared a backlash to the poster and the play, in which the women of ancient Greece plot to end the Peloponnesian War by withholding sex. “I was told to cancel the production,” recalled Harvey. “They said I could not say that in a Navy town.” Harvey didn’t back down. The show went on. And, except for one woman who walked out in response to a racy "sight gag" and wrote a scathing letter to the editor of the thenBremerton Sun, the audience was appreciative. Now 86 and battling cancer, Harvey still relishes his reputation as a rabble-rouser. He pushed his students to take risks and led by example, inspiring such devotion that many former students still keep in touch with him and one student anonymously endowed a $25,000 scholarship fund in his name. His contributions are being recognized in the new College Instruction Center, where the state-of-the-art performance space and classroom is called the William D. Harvey Theatre. It’s the first time an OC faculty member has been honored in this way and it took a vote by the Olympic College Board of Trustees. The Olympic College Foundation Board of Directors led the effort with support from faculty and Harvey’s loyal students.
In addition to teaching drama, speech, interpersonal communications, and the history of American culture during his 36 years at OC, Harvey was active in the community, helping create the Bremerton YWCA’s Alive Shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children. After retiring in 1995, he served on the Kitsap Regional Library Board, the West Sound Arts Council and the Olympic College Foundation Board, including serving as president in 2010-11.
His first production was “Our Town” and he went on to stage a play each quarter – 100 by his count – introducing students to Shakespeare, Chekov and Beckett, and requiring them to learn all facets of production from costumes to lighting. “I wanted them to learn literature. I wanted them to learn to work together. I wanted a commitment. And, if they happened to have talent, that was nice, too,” he said.
Still, it was his impact in the classroom that cements his legacy. “He would say, ‘Swindle with conviction,’” said Kate Wilson, a Silverdale Realtor who was Harvey’s student in the 1970s. “He wasn’t encouraging us to break the law, he was encouraging us to have confidence and it opened up all these doors. I think that’s really impacted me throughout my life. It’s really helped me to take on new challenges in life.” “He taught me more about working with people and organizing things than I ever learned in business school,” said Catherine Worley, another former student from the 1970s who went on to a career in banking and finance. Harvey is credited with resuscitating OC’s ailing theater program when he joined the faculty in 1959. “They hired me, gave me a box of rancid makeup and said, ‘Do a play.’”
2015 P. 5 OLYMPIC COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
1968
rs, 1964 ta Psi Omega) membe el (D b clu a am dr th pt wi Running through a scri
1972
He is an institution
Production of Tiger at the Gates, 1968
1968
1966
Harvey won national recognition for his efforts, including the American Theatre Festival Meritorious Achievement Award in 1988. “He is an institution,” said Carolyn Hershberger, who was on the OC faculty at the same time as Harvey. She said he brought an incredible creative energy to the college while also creating a safe harbor for students. “He was counselor. He was a father figure. The whole environment was like walking into a camp where you could be supported not only by the leader, but by the others in the camp.” Harvey said he drew on students’ experiences, talents and abilities in trying to extract their
1966
1966
Year of retirement, 1995
best, and demanded that they treat each other with respect. He considered students his family and became an adopted “grandfather” to the daughter of one of his students.
as the Bremerton Symphony, Olympic Jazz Classic and Peninsula Dance Classic. A grand opening performance and fundraiser is slated for early 2018.
His teaching philosophy was simple, derived from advice he got early in his career from a senior faculty member.
Reflecting on his long career at OC, Harvey said he planned to stay only five years, but found he loved working with community college students.
“He said, ‘Remember what you’re doing. You’re teaching people, not subjects.’ That made a whole lot of sense to me,” Harvey said. Appropriately, given his inclusive philosophy and desire to broaden students’ horizons, the new 276-seat William D. Harvey Theatre will draw the community to campus for such events
“They weren’t handpicked and fluffed up. It was there the challenge lay and I took it on,” he said. “It was satisfying to see something bloom, to watch the 'aha' moments occur, and I thank them.”
SUMMIT MAGAZINE | VOL.4 | AUTUMN 2017 P. 6
GIVING
BREMER TRUST NE W B U IL D IN G SPA R K S IN T ER E S T IN SHELTO N WEL D IN G PRO G R A MS W R I T T E N BY T E R R I G L E I C H
It looks like {the} program is going to be solid for the foreseeable future and it will have been made possible by the {Bremer} Trust. - John Mitchell
P H OTO BY LO G A N W E S TO M P H OTO G R A P H Y
I
f it weren’t for the Bremer Trust, Olympic College Shelton’s welding program would be homeless right now. Instead, the popular course is expanding in a new $1.3 million building.
The John Bremer Welding Center opened for classes in July with space for 22 students. That’s up from a maximum capacity of 16 in its previous facility, which was leased from Taylor Shellfish for nine years.
three decades, funding programs, student scholarships and major remodeling projects, such as the Bremer Student Center, the Sophia Bremer Child Development Center and a residence hall for international students.
When the company needed to reclaim that space, because of their own tremendous growth, the college couldn’t find a replacement, it sent shockwaves through a community hit hard by the loss of lumber industry jobs. Not only does the welding program put students on the path to wellpaying jobs, it’s also the biggest draw at OC Shelton. Without it, the entire campus may have been at risk.
“It has allowed the college to do things we wouldn’t have been able to do with just state money,” said OC President David Mitchell. “It’s allowed us to move to a level of excellence that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.”
Shelton needed a new building immediately, but it takes years to secure state funding for community college capital projects. That’s where the Bremer Trust enters the story, acting as a financial fairy godmother to write a happy ending. Managing Trustee John Mitchell, who along with Barbara Stephenson and Steve Rice oversees the fund worth about $30 million for the benefit of OC, said the decision to finance the project was an easy one. “There was no discussion. We had to come up with the money and we did,” he said. “To go to the state, the process would have taken three or four years. It would have been impossible for the system (Olympic College) to save this program.” Stephenson agreed: “There was just no other way that program (building) was going to get funded.” Named for the family that founded Bremerton, the Bremer Trust has given $9.3 million to Olympic College during the last
“We’re an important asset for OC,” said Stephenson. “I don’t know of any other community college where such a trust exists. Every couple of years, we seem to come up with a pretty good-sized project to help them.” That’s a sharp contrast with the trust’s early days when it nearly went bankrupt, according to John Mitchell, the managing trustee. William and Sophia Bremer amassed their wealth by investing in downtown real estate, which became the basis for the trust formed in 1987 when the estates of their sons, John and Ed, were combined. But by that time, the county’s retail hub had moved to Silverdale, Bremerton property values were declining, and the once-prime real estate became a liability. The trust-owned buildings were dilapidated, roofs were failing, and mushrooms were growing through the carpet, said Mitchell, who was then a member of the OC Board of Trustees. No one wanted to rent or buy the properties and the trust couldn’t afford to spruce them up.
Norm Dicks. They convinced the Navy to lease some of the property, which in turn allowed the trust to secure loans for renovations. “That was a real turning point and we’ve gotten stronger every year,” Mitchell said. To fund the welding facility, the trust sold the Bremer-Wyckoff building at the corner of Burwell Street and Pacific Avenue to a Seattle real estate developer. It turned a liability – the building cost $100,000 a year to maintain and was prohibitively expensive to update or demolish – into an asset for Shelton and the students training there for high-demand jobs. “It looks like that program is going to be solid for the foreseeable future and it will have been made possible by the trust,” said Mitchell. Welding Instructor Ron Keeling said the majority of his students are retraining after losing jobs at Simpson Lumber and Olympic Panel Products, two major Shelton employers that closed during the last two years. “Without this program, they would be in dire straits. Now they have a job skill and they will be able to go just about any place and pick up work,” he said. Area businesses hiring his students include Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Taylor Shellfish. “I truly appreciate the Bremer Trust for doing this and I know my students appreciate it too.”
Things turned around thanks to shrewd management by Mike Connolly, the first trustee, and an assist from then-Congressman
SUMMIT MAGAZINE | VOL.4 | AUTUMN 2017 P. 8
GIVING
Dreams really do come true DONORS & SCHOLARS
C E L E B R AT I O N
W R I T T E N BY T E R R I G L E I C H
I
t feels great to make a donation to the Olympic College Foundation, but it feels even better to meet the students whose lives you’re changing.
That’s why the Foundation’s Donors & Scholars Celebration is a highlight of the year for both scholarship recipients and the generous donors who make the awards possible.
Tim and Bev Ryan, who established the Ryan Family Nursing Scholarship with a $100,000 donation in 2016, attended the dinner and met three of the students benefitting from their gift.
At the 15th annual dinner on Monday, June 5, the Foundation awarded 185 scholarships for the 2017-18 school year worth more than $400,000.
“We got a feel for who they were as people,” said Tim Ryan. “By sitting at a table with them, you could see their personalities and their smiles.”
“The investment we are making in (students) tonight will assist them in their future goals and is indeed money well spent,” said OC President David Mitchell. “I want to thank you all (donors and the scholars’ families and support people) for your commitment to the success of these students and of our community.”
One of the recipients is Katie Rose, who will be graduating next spring with her associate’s degree in nursing. She has received a $5,000 Ryan family scholarship for each of her two years in nursing school.
Bremer Trust Trustee Barbara Stephenson awarding Kuldeep Singh a Bremer Trust Scholarship in Memory of William and Sophia Bremer
Rose, who spent part of her summer vacation on a church mission to Haiti, said receiving the Ryan scholarships puts her a step closer to her dream of going on medical missions once she becomes a nurse. “It’s easier to do without having to worry about having a bunch of schooling to pay off.” The Ryans established the scholarship in honor of Tim Ryan’s mother, who was a nurse. “This would thrill her,” he said. “I just know as a nurse how hard she worked and these nursing students need all the support they can get.”
“It’s such a big deal to be the recipient of that huge gift of money from someone and then to meet them,” she said.
OC Dean of Student Development, Elaine Williams Bryant awarding Zarye Wossene a Herbert H. Goodman Professional Technical Scholarship
OC student Erin Starr Martinez Alvarez feeling emotional while Sunny Wheeler, OC Foundation Board member, reads off her Charolette York Memorial Scholarship & the Charlotte Thompson Magelssen - AAUW Scholarship
Bremerton High School AVID students Zach Cantrall, Herbert H. Goodman Prof-Tech Scholarship recipient and Jeremiah Petty, Robert B. Stewart Scholarship recipient
We're saving
Scholarship recipients Alex Wilson, Sons of Norway, Oslo Lodge 2-035 Bremerton, Katie Jean Rose, Ryan Family Nursing Scholarship, Juvylyn Purificacion, Ryan Family Nursing Scholarship, and Mawil Tate Espino, Ryan Family Nursing Scholarship
You a seat
Take center stage in the campaign to furnish Olympic College’s new state-of-the-art performance space and classroom. Your tax-deductible $1,250 contribution, payable over five years, will fund one of the 276 seats in the William D. Harvey Theatre and provide an innovative learning center for students, as well as a performing arts center for the entire community.
Top five reasons to name your seat today: OC students, Destiny Tonstad, Patterson-Dominy Scholarship recipient, and Jeremy Tonstad, Sharon and Raymond Soule/TRIFAM Foundation Scholarship recipient, with Mark Hughes, Vice President, OC Foundation Board
• You love the arts. • You’d like to honor a special person or occasion. • It’s the perfect gift for the person who has everything. • You like to make meaningful contributions to fund education. • You want to make a lasting gift that will benefit generations of students to come. Donors will be recognized with an engraved plaque. Invest in a seat in your name or celebrate the theater lover in your life.
Daryl den Hoed, Helen Langer Smith and Dr. Meredith P. Smith Scholarship recipient talking with Shannon Childs, OC Foundation Board Emeritus member and Kitsap Bank Senior Vice President/Marketing Director, Jerry Childs, and Jim Page, OC Board of Trustees member and OC Foundation Board Emeritus member
OC Director of Athletics, Barry Janusch congratulating Drake Adams, Herbert H. Goodman Athletic Scholarship recipient
Don’t wait in the wings. We need your support now to make this happen for our students and our community. For more information or to make a contribution, contact David Emmons at demmons@olympic.edu or (360) 475-7120.
SUMMIT MAGAZINE | VOL.4 | AUTUMN 2017 P. 10
NOTE WORTHY THE CIC
I N N OVAT I V E L E A R N I N G A N D A RT S C E N T E R O P E N S TO CO M M U N I T Y W R I T T E N BY T E R R I G L E I C H
A
rt Professor Marie Weichman is absolutely giddy about Olympic College’s new College Instruction Center.
For starters, the ceramics area alone is larger than the entire art department’s previous digs. That means students have access to 20 potter’s wheels, including one that’s handicapped accessible, five kilns, and separate spaces for clay and glazes.
“I want to emphasize who this building belongs to and it’s the people of Kitsap and Mason counties. What goes in here is what the community wants,” he said.
And that’s not all. There are spacious, light-filled classrooms dedicated to sculpture, plaster, drawing, painting, and design. There’s also a wood shop, an art gallery, and a scene shop for theater and filmmaking.
“That, essentially, is the strength of this building,” said Weichman, who is co-curating the gallery’s opening show this winter with the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN). She also looks forward to hosting public workshops and events in the new space.
“It’s like going from the 18th century to the 21st century,” Weichman said, noting that the previous art building dated back to 1964.
Community groups such as Silverdale’s Central Stage Theatre and the Bremerton Symphony Orchestra have already scheduled performances in the new theater.
After more than a decade of dreaming and planning, the $46.5-million, 75,000-square-foot CIC opens this winter and it will not disappoint.
The CIC is also designed to foster collaboration among students with informal study spaces around the atrium and an interactive classroom with round tables of eight that encourage small-group learning. Each table has its own LCD wall display and white board with linked video displays that promote sharing among groups.
There are soaring spaces and state-of-the art technology throughout and a striking wall of cherry wood and handcrafted Venetian plaster anchors the atrium. But what’s really impressive is the scope of the multi-disciplinary facility.
• Music classrooms, soundproof practice rooms and an ensemble room with adjustable acoustics
Shazi Tharian of Schacht Aslani Architects emphasized the building’s versatility. In the theater, for example, walls and acoustics can easily be adjusted to accommodate everything from a solo performer to a play, opera or symphony. There’s also a large projection screen.
• The 276-seat William D. Harvey Theatre
“This is a multi-use space,” she said.
• A digital filmmaking soundstage
It’s also a sustainable one. The building boasts 90-percent heat recovery and a large solar array to help reduce power consumption and costs.
IN ADDITION TO ART, THE BUILDING HOUSES:
• A health occupations center with obstetrics and medication simulation learning labs • A shared computer lab and an interactive classroom • Campus-wide IT infrastructure Noting that it’s one of the largest community college projects in state history, Olympic College President David Mitchell said the facility is a collaboration with the community.
P. 11 OLYMPIC COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Art student and budding graphic designer Gretchen Lund is thrilled to leave the dark studios of the old art building behind. Noting that the design program has a dedicated space for the first time, she said: “I’m excited to see how the two-dimensional art program is going to take off.”
I want to emphasize who this building belongs to and it's the people of Kitsap and Mason counties. What goes in here is what the community wants. - President David Mitchell
P H OTO S BY LO G A N W E S TO M P H OTO G R A P H Y
E V O LU T I O N
OF THE 2006: IDEA FORMED
Based on the state of OC facilities, President Mitchell and OC Leadership form a plan to build a new building on the Bremerton campus. Schacht Aslani Architects is hired to do a Master Plan for the entire campus.
2015: LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL Bipartisan support by our local legislative delegation is instrumental in getting funding included in the 2015-17 Capital Budget. Bill is signed by Governor Jay Inslee.
2007: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN & APPROVAL After three revisions, the Master Plan for the campus and the new CIC building is finalized and approved. The project then makes it close to the top of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) list for budget approval.
2009: ECONOMIC DOWNTURN Hard times, but the project is added to a supplemental budget that contains a jobs component, and funds are allocated for specialized design work. Makes it to first runner-up on the master list for 2011-13 SBCTC project list.
2011: PROJECT IN FUNDING LIMBO State is playing catch-up on capital projects and there are ongoing issues with funding statewide. Building undergoes a major redesign to make it more economical, and many say, a better building.
ARCHITECTURAL & CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS & RENDERINGS BY SCHACHT ASLANI ARCHITECTS
2015: GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY Site preparation begins and the groundbreaking ceremony is held on December 17, 2015.
2016: CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY From a dirt parking lot to steel framework to orange and pink insulation-wrapped structure, it has been fun to watch the progress of the new building.
2017: GRAND OPENING Project is still under construction and estimated to open for classes later this year.
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOGRAPHS FROM 2015-2017
CIC
W H AT ’ S AHEAD
DIGITAL FILMMAKING
E Y E O N T H E F U T U R E W I T H A N E W FO U R-Y E A R D EG R EE W R I T T E N BY T E R R I G L E I C H
L
ook around the offices of the Olympic College Film School and you’ll see movie posters – lots of them. But, they’re not advertising studio blockbusters or black-and-white classics; they’re for student productions, a visual reminder that the college’s newest four-year degree program is hands-on and focused on the future. A digital future. With the affordability of professional digital cameras and the proliferation of new media platforms like Netflix and YouTube, there’s a revolution going on in the film industry. Professor Timothy Hagan says OC students earning either an associate’s or the new bachelor’s degree in digital filmmaking are training to be part of it. Led by faculty who not only understand the shift but also are successfully participating in it, students have access to state-of-the art equipment and are learning all aspects of production in front of and behind the camera. In contrast to traditional film schools, Hagan said students at OC can check out equipment and begin making their own movies during their first few weeks of class. The program, which will have space in the new College Instruction Center, also boasts media production studios, a sound stage, editing suites, a screening theater, and Mac computers with industry standard software. “In one quarter, I had three projects shot that I’ve written,” said Jen O’Brien, who entered
OC wanting to be a screenwriter but now aspires to be a director. “This program is unique because we get to try all different hats. We’re learning all different positions and that only makes us better directors, editors and actors.” Hagan, who designed the program and teaches dramatic arts and film, said there’s nothing else like it in the state of Washington. OC offers two associate’s degrees and, beginning this quarter, a bachelor’s degree in digital filmmaking. One of the associate’s degrees is for students seeking a two-year program. The other leads into the bachelor’s program. Class sizes are small, ranging from 20-30 students, and the tuition is a reasonable $3,400 to $6,100 a year, depending on whether the classes are for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. That compares to $75,000 to $100,000 for well-known traditional film schools. Like Hagan, who has worked as an actor, writer, and director in Hollywood, the other faculty members, Aaron Drane, who teaches
screenwriting and producing, and Amy Hesketh, who teaches digital filmmaking, bring professional experience to the classroom. “I work in new media. I’m a successful filmmaker in new media. I’m making a living at it and I feel confident teaching my students to do that,” said Hesketh, who had her own production company in Bolivia and has written, produced, directed, and acted in more than nine feature-length films. “I know my students can get jobs on independent films. I know they can make their own films and start their own production companies.” That makes it an exciting time to be part of OC’s new program. “You don’t need thousands of dollars to make indie films anymore, you just need passion,” said Logen Mills, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree. “The demand for films and having these skills is not going anywhere. It’s just increasing.” To learn more go to www.olympic.edu
OC professors Amy Hesketh, Timothy Hagen and Aaron Drane with digital filmmaking students in May in the media studio
P H OTO BY J E F F 2017 P TA S Z Y N S K I , O C CO M M U N I C AT I O N S PAGE 6 S- WINTER
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W H AT ’ S A H E A D
REVERSE
TRANSFER FINISH WHAT YOU S TARTED W R I T T E N BY T E R R I G L E I C H
Olympic College turned me on to a higher level of learning engagement and passion for education.
P H OTO BY LO G A N W E S TO M P H OTO G R A P H Y
B
remerton School Superintendent Aaron Leavell has a slew of academic credentials, including a doctorate from the University of Washington, but he still aspires to have one more diploma – an associate’s degree from Olympic College. Leavell attended OC from 1990-92, but was one class short of his two-year degree when he transferred to Central Washington University, where he earned a bachelor of arts. “Olympic College turned me on to a higher level of learning engagement and passion for education,” he said. “It really was a true foundation for me, just without the credential behind it.”
Thanks to a new state law, it’s easier than ever for Leavell to make his associate's degree official. By the end of 2017, all state colleges and universities and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges must develop plans for the reverse transfer of credits from fouryear institutions back to the community or technical colleges where students started. Simply put, it allows transfer students to
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use credits they earned after community college to fulfill missing requirements for their associate’s degrees. That's good news for both OC and affected students, said Amy Hatfield, OC Dean for Workforce Development and Basic Studies. It will boost the college’s completion rate – typically around 30 percent for first-time, full-time students – which can earn the school
I
f you attended Olympic College, but were a few credits short of your degree when you transferred to another school, this is a good time to officially earn that credential.
Here’s what you need to do: 1
Contact Jennifer Glasier (contact info below) to see if you meet the requirements
2
Submit a Registrar’s Petition to waive the requirement that the last 10 credits be completed at OC
3
Request an official transcript from the transfer institution be sent to OC
4
Submit a graduation application
5
Apply with the OC Foundation for a Finish Line Scholarship to pay the $20 graduation fee
If you have questions, contact: Jennifer Glasier, Dean of Enrollment Services, at (360) 475-7208 or jglasier@olympic.edu
more state funding. And, it gives students an additional degree or skill set to showcase on their resumes. It also demonstrates that they are able to set goals and complete programs, something that’s especially important if they did not complete their degree at the transfer institution. Hatfield is also working to set up reverse transfer agreements with private schools and has completed one with Old Dominion University. Jennifer Glasier, OC’s Dean of Enrollment Services, said she’s currently processing a half-
dozen reverse transfer applications, including Dr. Leavell's. When OC gets a request, the school looks through the students’ transcript from the transfer institution to find courses that meet missing requirements. The applicant also must submit a petition asking to waive OC’s rules that the final 10 credits for a diploma be completed at the college.
to OC,’” he said. “It’s a great local institution that’s nationally ranked and it’s a very intelligent move to do your undergrad work there and not pay university prices. Look what that foundation has led to for me personally.”
For Leavell, the main reason he wants a degree from OC is because he often recommends the school to his students. “It’s more authentic if I share with my Bremerton High School students, ‘Gosh, I went
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Coach Phil Pesco
1981 Women's Softball Team Karen SchillingerJohnson, 1977
Dr. Pete Dufour, 1950
Coach Charolette York
1981 Women's Softball Team Billy Landram, 1998
Mike O'Brien, 1975
Coach Doc Rethke
Erika Quint, 2009
PAST MEETS PRESENT
Coach Hank Muyskens
AT OC' S INAUGUR AL HALL OF FAME
From Matt Armitage, a switch-hitting outfielder who led the Rangers to a 1997 regional championship, to Henry “Hank” Muyskens, a professor who spent 44 years as a baseball coach and basketball timekeeper, the inaugural class of the Olympic College Athletics Hall of Fame is a highlight reel from the college’s 70-year history. Armitage and Muyskens were among 11 individuals inducted into the hall during a June ceremony. Others were Dr. Pete Dufour, track & field; Billy Landram, basketball; Mike O’Brien, football; coach Phil Pesco, basketball; Erika Quint, softball; coach Dr. Roland “Doc” Rethke, track & field, golf; Karen Schillinger-Johnson, basketball, volleyball, track & field; Joni Slagle, basketball, and coach Charolette York, volleyball, tennis, basketball. The championship 1981 women’s softball team was also honored, along with MVPs from 2016-17 OC teams. Learn more about these outstanding athletes at www.olympic.edu/alumni and plan to join us for next year’s Hall of Fame induction Saturday, June 9, 2018.
Matt Armitage, 1997
ns Coach Hank Muyske
Joni Slagle, 1975
PROFILES DISTINGUISHED
DISTINGUISHED
PAU L
MICHELLE
ALUMNI
ALUMNI
O R T I Z
CALDIER
CURRENT POSITION: Director, Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, www.history.ufl.edu/oral; Associate Professor of History, University of Florida.
CURRENT POSITION: Since 2014, Elected Member of the Washington State House, representing the 26th District (parts of Kitsap and Pierce Counties).
ATTENDED OC: 1988: With a scholarship for Academic Excellence
GRADUATED OC: 1995: Associate of Arts Degree
POST-OC EDUCATION: 1990: BA, History and Political Economy, Evergreen State College 2000: Ph.D., History, Duke University
POST-OC EDUCATION: 1997: BS, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Washington 2001: Doctor of Dental Surgery, University of Washington
MILITARY SERVICE: Third-generation veteran, Sergeant E-5, US Army, 82nd Airborne, 7th Special Forces Group, Latin America
EXPERIENCE: Rep. Caldier’s childhood dream was to become a dentist. Following graduation, she opened a dental practice serving elderly patients in nursing homes around Puget Sound. She had the opportunity to travel to Jamaica and Honduras where she provided free dental care to children. After running her practice for more than a decade, she became involved in politics, advocating for dental care for our most vulnerable citizens. Caldier discovered that one person could make a difference, and ran for state office in 2014.
SAMPLE PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS: An African American and Latinx History of the United States. Beacon Press, Jan., 2018. Emancipation Betrayed. U. California Press, 2005. Co-editor, Remembering Jim Crow: African Americans Tell About Life in the Jim Crow South, New Press, 2001, 4th ed., 2014. Various publications in Latino Studies, Oral History Review, Southern Exposure, Florida Historical Quarterly, etc. HONORS AND AWARDS: Lillian Smith Book Prize; Harry T. and Harriett V. Moore Book Prize; Outstanding Faculty of the year, Hispanic Student Association, U. Florida, 2015; Rosa Parks Quiet Courage Award, 2014; The César E. Chávez Action and Commitment Award, Florida Education Association, 2013; and many more. FAMILY: Wife of 22 years, Sheila Payne and stepson, Josh Redmond Payne. IN HIS SPARE TIME: Take long walks with his wife, watch old movies, and write letters of recommendation for his students! QUOTE: “I am a first-generation college graduate and as a university professor, nothing gives me more joy now than helping students from working class backgrounds succeed in higher education. As we say in the farm worker movement: ¡SI, SE PUEDE! / YES, WE CAN!”
LEGISLATION: Caldier authored House Bill 1855, a measure that required school districts to waive local requirements for foster children, homeless children, and at-risk youth, who have attended three or more high schools and met all state requirements for graduation. This was similar to exceptions allowed for dependents of active military service members. The Washington State House of Representatives unanimously passed the bill in 2015. FAMILY: As a child, Caldier spent time in foster care, and she has become an outspoken advocate for children as an adult. She is a mother and foster-mother of three daughters, and has four grandchildren. She resides in Port Orchard, WA. QUOTE: “I love Olympic College. This is where my parents met in the 1970s, where I began my college experience in the 1990s, and where my daughter, Cassandra, is set to graduate later this year. As a fourth-generation Kitsap County resident, I am honored to serve the communities where I grew up. I know my journey would not have been possible without my education from Olympic College. I am OC!”
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IN THE NEWS Wine flows at Harborside Fountain Park More than 600 wine lovers raised their glasses for a good cause on Saturday, August 12, at the 9th Annual Kitsap Wine Festival in Bremerton’s scenic Harborside Fountain Park. This was the first year that the Olympic College Alumni Association was the beneficiary of the popular event, which will help fund student scholarships. More than 20 vineyards and nine local restaurants provided sips and savory bites, including OC’s renowned Culinary Arts Institute. The Tonze added a soundtrack to the perfect summer afternoon, inspiring festivalgoers to dance amid the splashing fountains. For photos check out our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/olympicalumniassociation and don’t miss the fun next year – the 10th annual festival is set for Saturday, August 11, 2018. P H OTO G R A P H Y BY M EG H A N N P RO U S E
Employer Partnership Recognized It's not every day that you win a national award, but that's exactly what happened on April 23 at the Association of Community College's Excellence Awards Ceremony in New Orleans. OC and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility took home the top honor for their partnership, which dates back to the 1950s and is a model for other naval shipyards across the country.
OC hosted a reception to recognize the PSNS & IMF partnership, shown here from left: Lisa Palafox, President Mitchell, Rick Tift, OC student Kaylan O'Connor, Dwight Otis, OC student Sybrina Savannah, CAPT Markle, Norma Whitacre, Bryan Watland and CAPT Sexton
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In 2015-16, the program enrolled 811 apprentices in 24 trades and 1,354 entry-level employees in classes. There’s also a training program at the shipyard for entry-level employees and an after-hours program to help employees improve skills. This partnership has produced more than 15,000 Olympic College alumni.
OC Professor Wins Award Biology Professor Amy Lawrence was honored at the 28th Annual YWCA Kitsap County Women of Achievement gala in April at the Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo. Amy was recognized in the category of Environmental Sustainability for her contributions to the Barner Learning Landscape on the OC Bremerton campus and for her work in conservation and community environmental education. A highly regarded teacher who encourages her students to get outside and get involved, Amy is also chair of the Chico Salmon Park Stewardship Group, which helped restore 4.5 acres of park trails and habitat, creating a prime viewing area for annual salmon runs. Congratulations, Amy!
OC Alumna Featured in Lawyer Magazine Tracy Flood ‘92, an OC alumna and member of the OC Foundation Board, was recently featured in “Veterans Serve with Honor”, the cover story of Lawyer, the official magazine of the Seattle University School of Law. The article features Seattle U law graduates who also served in the armed forces and highlights the work they do serving veterans. Tracy says veteran clients “are like family” and that “you build a bond with people who have been through similar experiences.” To read the entire story, please go to www.olympic.edu/alumni Tracy served in the Navy from 1986-1994. She earned a criminal justice degree from Olympic College, undergraduate degrees from the University of Washington, and in 1999, a J.D. from Seattle University. She has a private law practice in Port Orchard, WA, and also works with the Social Security Administration. We are proud to claim Tracy as an OC graduate and her career proves that you can begin your dream at OC, and go anywhere!
NEXT UP FOR THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SPEAKER SERIES... Join us at 6pm, Thursday, November 2 on the Bremerton campus (Engineering Rotunda, Room 117) when OC Professor Marie Weichman presents “Art in a Chaotic World.” Learn how art brings people together and how STEM becomes STEAM, and ideas become innovation when art is part of the process. Find answers to your questions and begin painting the future you envision. All Speaker Series events are free and open to the public. Also, mark your calendars for the
2018 Speaker Series featuring: Amy Lawrence – February Paul Ortiz – May Darlene Peters – August Philip Mathew – November
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LUNCHEON PROGRAM
FUNDS RAISED AT THE COMMUNITY LUNCHEON DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE STUDENT SUCCESS FUND AT OLYMPIC COLLEGE. For more information, please contact the Olympic College Foundation office 360.475.7120 or foundation@olympic.edu
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