By Jamil Oakford/editor-in-chief
This year is special for TCC. The college is celebrating its 50th anniversary with some help from the campuses.
With the assistance of all five campuses’ planning committees, the college will ring in its Golden Jubilee with what members hope are fun and entertaining events.
“Golden Jubilee means that in 1965, the first bond was passed by voters in Tarrant County,” said Carolyn Robertson, South dean of behavioral and social sciences and co-chair of South’s planning committee.
While this isn’t South’s 50th anniversary, as it didn’t open until 1967, this is a celebration for the district.
SE Campus’ assistant to the president Michael Cinatl said that his campus understands the magnitude of this milestone as SE is also celebrating its 20th
anniversary.
“The success of our campus is based off of the success of what came before,” he said.
NE vice president of continuing education services Jackie Washington believes this is a great time to look back and see how far the college has come.
“It reminds us why we’re here,” she said. “It helps us recognize the vision and forward thinking.”
Antonio Howell, humanities dean and co-chair of the NE Campus planning committee with Washington, agrees with the importance and impact the college has made. Its impact on the community alone has proved beneficial.
“There’s nothing like having a college in your community,” Howell said.
Most of these committees started planning back in the fall, some starting as recently as a month ago, but all have big plans in the works.
TR Campus has already started planning a campus showcase that would have departmental information booths and facts about the college’s 50-year history.
“We’re also looking into nursing from 50 years ago,” assistant to TR president Ann Arvin said. “What were the uniforms like? How different is it from what our nursing students are learning today?”
Some committees are spotlighting the decade the district planning committee gave them.
“Our primary focus is on the ’70s because that’s when our campus was built,” NW coordinator of academic support services Mason McWatters said.
In April, NW will have an event where students can play The Price is Right and guess the prices of common household items in the 1970s for prizes. It will also have a NW aviation display later in the spring.
NE doesn’t know its decade yet but has started planning for a big celebration.
“July 30. That’s the big celebration,” Howell said.
South was given the 1960s for its decade and TR the 2000s. All of these decades from each campus will merge at the big district celebration Aug. 1 at Fort Worth’s Panther Island, where staff, faculty and students will have a chance to celebrate the Golden Jubilee.
“We’ve been asked to provide performers for the Aug. 1 event,” Robertson said.
Many campuses are finding ways to get the students involved for the celebration.
“[Students] they’re involved with the showcase,” Arvin said. “We want student involvement for Panther Island. We just don’t know how.”
These planning committees will continue to meet throughout the spring to help celebrate the district’s golden jubilee as the exact anniversary date is set in the summer.
“Who would’ve thought that South would turn into four other campuses and 21 satellite locations around the county?” Arvin said.
Photos by Pamela Bakowski/The Collegian
