This content was published: February 14, 2017. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Community invited to 40th history exhibit, kicking off celebrations of Rock Creek’s four decades
Photos and story by Janis Nichols
The college community is invited to the unveiling of the 40th History Exhibit for the Rock Creek Campus at the Washington County Museum, which is on campus between Building 5 and the ball fields. Festivities are noon to 1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23. Refreshments will be Served.
When PCC’s Rock Creek Campus opened in 1976, the Bethany area was mostly open fields and farm land. Naysayers doubted the college would ever thrive or grow much past its expected enrollment capacity of 2,500 students. Washington County planners feared overcrowding. While many voiced their opposition to the purchase of the 250-acre parcel valued at $584,955, founding PCC President Amo De Bernardis saw what others did not.
Today, the campus welcomes more than 20,000 students a year and offers a robust college transfer program and 13 career and technical programs (CTE) including Auto Collision Repair, Aviation Maintenance and Aviation Science, Bioscience, Building Construction, Business , Caterpillar Dealer Service Technician, Computer Application/Office Systems, Diesel Service, Landscape, Microelectronics, Veterinary and Welding technology.
The Rock Creek Campus enjoys partnerships with key profit and non-profit organizations that reflect both its curriculum and commitment to community engagement. Among these are Hillsboro Aviation, Intel Corporation, Clean Water Services, Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation, Freightliner, the cities of Beaverton and Hillsboro, Oregon Humane Society, Federal Express, and the Beaverton School District.
Read all about the dramatic story of how it became a campus in the feature called “The Battle for Rock Creek.”
DREAMer Scholars Recognized
It was a family affair at the IME BECAS and DREAM Project Ceremony held Friday, Feb. 10 at PCC’s Rock Creek Campus. Seven scholarship recipients, many with family members attending, accepted their scholarship award made possible by the Mexican Consulate and the DREAM Project mentoring program facilitated by the Multicultural Center at Rock Creek. Congratulations to these outstanding students.
The IME Becas Scholarship Program funds adult education initiatives, including financial support for Mexican or Mexican origin adult students. The acronym DREAM refers to the legislative proposal called Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors known (DREAM Act).
Rock Creek Student Art at Justice Center
The work of Rock Creek Campus ceramic students and instructor Donna Cole is currently on display in the Justice Center exterior windows at the corner of 2nd and Madison in downtown Portland. The display will remain there until Feb. 18.
The showcase windows, built as part of the One Percent for Art program during construction of the Justice Center, are three large storefront style windows – 20-feet wide by 8 feet tall – providing opportunities for Portland area artists to display their work. The Oregon Potters Association (OPA) schedules artists working in various media throughout the year.
“This is the second year that the OPA has invited my students to participate in the window display,” Cole said. “I extended the invitation to the Rock Creek Ceramics Guild, a PCC student club, and 12 students responded.”
The current display includes wheel-thrown and hand-formed functional pottery, sculptures and painted wall pieces. People walking past will see outdoor lanterns in Japanese style, porcelain vases in Korean style, pottery painted in Indian motifs, fun garden art, figurative sculptures, pitchers, platters, cups, mugs and more.
Cole added, “Each student worked in their own style with various levels of experience. I have students who have been working in clay for many years and others who have one year of experience. PCC ceramics classes are taught in ‘clusters,’ which means that we teach all levels within the same classroom. This creates a stimulating environment for collaboration, mentoring and the exchange of ideas. It’s especially effective in ceramics, which by nature and tradition thrives on community. The students are familiar and comfortable working together on projects.”
Each student was asked to present a cohesive group of recent classroom work, giving them an opportunity to experience the process that professional ceramic artists and potters practice.
“They packed and delivered the work and set up their display within the constraints of time, weather and facility,” Cole said. “The project gave students the real life experience of pricing their work and providing inventory lists, business cards and writing artist statements, not to mention working on weekends!”
It was freezing cold—the windows open to the street—but students collaborated to arrange, discuss, and rearrange the exhibit until they achieved a dynamic presentation.
“I am excited to see such a high level of work, and I am proud of the efforts they made to make this happen,” she said. “If you get downtown, I encourage you to drive or walk past the windows—you will be amazed!”
Congratulations to PCC and the Rock Creek Campus. I have very fond memories of the years I was part of the college. America’s community colleges are our nations unique contribution to education and serve as a guiding model emulated around the globe. PCC has a well deserved reputation for excellence. I am confident that it will continue to flourish and provide exemplary educational opportunities to the students it will serve during future decades. With affection and best wishes to all.