NWFSC to hold Community Open House on Saturday (MAP)

NICEVILLE — For the first time in more than 20 years, Northwest Florida State College will host a free Community Open House on the college’s main campus from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday

The Open House, which is part of a week of events centered on the grand opening of the college’s new 75,000-square-foot Student Services Center, will feature the entire campus and a variety of free activities, tours, faculty seminars, program demonstrations, art exhibits, baseball games, a free-throw contest in the college’s basketball Arena, and more.

To make sure you don’t miss a special event or seminar scheduled at a specific time, view the events schedule in advance on the college’s website at nwfsc.edu/openhouse.

There will also be door prizes, including a Blackberry Tablet and college gift-baskets, and free T-shirt giveaways to the first 300 members of the public who to register at the Student Services Center. The T-shirt give-away starts at noon.

With most activities scheduled for indoors and shuttle buses carrying participants around the campus, organizers said the event will take place rain or shine.

Some of the unique activities offered as part of the Open House include fire tower and vehicle burns with firefighting demonstrations by the college’s Fire Science program; 20 faculty seminars on everything from fossils to philosophy and career change to climate change; free portrait photography by Graphic Design students for adults over age 17; demonstrations by Nursing students of the college’s state-of-the art patient simulators – including a simulated live birth; and a Humanities lecture that includes screening portions of the film “The Rape of Europa” about the systematic theft, deliberate destruction and miraculous survival of Europe's art treasures during World War II.

The Open House extends to many areas of the 265-acre campus that are normally closed to the public; including public tours of the Okaloosa County Emergency Operations Center, which moved to state-of-the-art facilities at NWFSC last year, the college’s observatory, and more.

College performing arts groups will present open rehearsals throughout the Open House at the college’s Mattie Kelly Arts Center. These continuous “drop-in” performances are ongoing from noon to 3 p.m. and feature the Soundsations Show Choir, dance line, and more.

It is recommended the public enter the event at the main lobby of the new Student Services Center, located on west campus adjacent to the existing College Mall (Building K), to pick up an event schedule or register for door prizes. Door prize registration is also available at campus sites throughout the Open House.

“The Open House celebrates not only the opening of our marvelous new Student Services Center, but also the entire main campus and all the rich variety of academic, cultural and community focused offerings the college provides our region,” said Sandy Sims, Chair of the NWFSC Board of Trustees.

Most NWFSC academic programs, from GED to Bachelor’s degrees, as well as labs for career programs such as Drafting, Computer Engineering, Dental Assisting, Radiography, Nursing, Teacher Education, Early Childhood Education and more will also be open for tours and information.

College staff in Admissions, Financial Aid, Advising, Veteran’s Affairs, the Women’s Educational Resources Center, Career Center, PRIME Time Personal Enrichment program, Leadership Institute and more will also be on hand at the event.

A lunch menu will be available for purchase in the college’s new Food Services facility, which is on the ground floor of the new Student Services Center.

In addition, NWFSC and Okaloosa Public Art are partnering to showcase outstanding art work from local artists on the third floor of the new Student Services Center.

Okaloosa Public Arts is an organization of Okaloosa County artists and other citizens who are committed to providing exceptional and meaningful art in our public spaces through private donations. The group’s initial project in the area was the selection and installation of art for the public spaces in the new Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex.

The art exhibit at NWFSC includes pieces from 25 award-winning artists. The artwork and artists featured will be periodically rotated to provide a changing tableau of local art in a premiere community location.

The Open House activities from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday are framed by two free Raiders baseball games, which begin at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the college’s athletics complex, and a ticketed concert at the Niceville campus Mattie Kelly Arts Center that begins at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $30 for the national touring concert “Simply Sinatra” starring popular Las Vegas crooner Steve Lippia and his 16-piece band in an evening of Frank Sinatra tunes. Contact the box office at 729-6000. During the open house, the public will be able to get a glimpse of the preparations for the evening’s Sinatra show as crews prepare the Mainstage Theater.

For an Open House schedule, map and event times see the college website. The NWFSC Open House is continuous from noon to 3 p.m. at the Niceville Campus, 100 College Blvd., located between State Roads 85 and 285. Event Platinum and Gold sponsors include: Gulf Coast Office Products, Hon Showcase, Ajax Building Corporation and Office Depot.