Oklahoma City University

[UnFrSaKn]

I spent quite a while here yesterday for the first time and shot a few hundred photos. I have a new camcorder also so I'm currently working on that as well. Pete suggested I create a new thread for the University.

Oklahoma City University (May 13 2013) - a set on Flickr

Here's a cool NewsOK video from two years ago.

OCU's Gold Star tower is an unfinished Oklahoma City landmark | News OK

[bombermwc]

While it's not exactlly a historic structure campus, it does have very nice buildings (alum here). It's going through an amazing construction boom since 2000 that has transformed the entire campus.

The chapel is an amazing building! If you ever get a chance to attend something like the Christmas Vespars there, it's an awe inspiring event. And the new music building is a jewel compared to any campus in the U.S....if only they could get a good auditorium in that thing.

One of the first things I appreciate when I go to OU, is how quick and easy it is to walk around OCU's campus. The compact design allows you to get anywhere on campus in a short amount of time. Sort of the benefit of not being a campus in a 'burb.

The ongoing construction (which never ends) continues to improve student resources on campus and improve overall student life there.

One of the older structures (Dawson-Loefler) houses math and science. That building has an interesting history behind it. Several original buildings burned down back in the early days of the school. Places like Loefler and the physical plant were rebuilt quickly. At that time, Loefler was a mechanical science building. Apparently at one time, you could get a degree in such things (fancy name for auto repair). You can see the old garage doors that have been bricked over on several of the outside walls. And the odd decreased grade on the west end of the first floor hints at some of the odd floor designs that structure had at that time. It's the buidling I spent the most time in, but that I also seemed to be allergic to. 60 years of crap in the ceiling and a funky central air system made for bad allergies....and weird smells. Word is that this building will be dozed and the groups will move into Sarkeys after Law moves out....we'll see if that happens.

[Teo9969]

For a campus its size, it's probably comprised of a similar ratio of (quality) historic structures to any other campus in this region of the country with the Admin, Gold Star, and Chapel. It helps that Meinders and Bass are such high quality construction which will turn out to be historic structures as well.

Loeffler is also one of those weird buildings where the central HVAC system is controlled in a totally different building (in Dallas, actually). I wouldn't be opposed to them bulldozing the structure, but there's really no need to until they have a new plan for that lot.

I really hope they get their money situation under control in the next 5 years so that they can start building out the campus the way they have wanted to. The 30 year plan for the campus that they came up with ~2009 had a performing arts center that would be built for opera/theater productions and I think was going to be quite sizable but they'll need a lot of money to get that project going.

[Chicken In The Rough]

Anyone have a long-term master plan for the campus?

[ljbab728]

Anyone have a long-term master plan for the campus?

It's not hard to find although I'm sure some parts of this have been changed. (It mentions law expansion)

http://www2.okcu.edu/presidentsearch...MASTERPLAN.pdf

[bombermwc]

The Kirkpatrick family had an impact on that new auditorium....which was going to be in a weird place anyway. Not one that i would prefer. If it is ever to be used for music concerts and not just large productions, then it really needs to be connected to Bass. Carting stuff outside is crazy. There are some interesting issues bewteen the Kirkpatrick family foundation and how Kirkpatrick could ever be remodeled. When it was remodeled in the 70's, they killed ANY acoustic flavor. The place USED to be THE auditorium in town and all the state band contests were held there. After the renovation, it's a pile. And Unfortunately, the sideways shoebox of Petree is "deader than a doornail". Several groups just have their concerts in the rehearsal halls because they have better acoustics than the auditoriums.....sad. Anyway....

But the master plan is just that...which often doesn't come true. It's VERY different from the masterplan before 09. Although i would say that it's predecessor accomplished a far higher percentage of proposed structures. But as we see on this one, poor Loefler continues to have a replacement planned, but with no funding to it.

They did manage to buy up more of the Penn. facing land and doze out some of the crap that was there. But as masterplans go, changes in status alter then. Who would have though Meinders would stroll on campus with 50 million one day for a new building. That freed up the old Meinders for Dance, which vacated space ALLL over campus (including some of that Penn facing space,the current rowing space, current theater rehearsal space, etc. And building Bass freed up a TON of space in the old Petree Parker construction for Theater and others to use. Now Central High for Law School. So as things like that develop, the masterplans change. I'm betting Loefler moves to Sarkeys...it only makes sense. It would take very little renovation considering how few actual science labs there are in Loefler compared to regular classrooms and computer labs. Then bye bye stinky weird car garage.

[warreng88]

I graduated from OCU in 2002. I remember OCU trying to get to the point where they owned everything from 23rd to 30th and Classen to Virginia. The new fraternity row we were told was going to be built just north of the baseball field bounded by 27-28, Kentucky-Indiana. The new sorority houses (where girls could live as opposed to just meeting space which is what they are now) would be built to the west of the baseball field. In the past ten years, plans have changed from building out the campus to anticipate more growth to paying down debt and working on the law school.

[Teo9969]

The Kirkpatrick family had an impact on that new auditorium....which was going to be in a weird place anyway. Not one that i would prefer. If it is ever to be used for music concerts and not just large productions, then it really needs to be connected to Bass. Carting stuff outside is crazy. There are some interesting issues bewteen the Kirkpatrick family foundation and how Kirkpatrick could ever be remodeled. When it was remodeled in the 70's, they killed ANY acoustic flavor. The place USED to be THE auditorium in town and all the state band contests were held there. After the renovation, it's a pile. And Unfortunately, the sideways shoebox of Petree is "deader than a doornail". Several groups just have their concerts in the rehearsal halls because they have better acoustics than the auditoriums.....sad. Anyway....

But the master plan is just that...which often doesn't come true. It's VERY different from the masterplan before 09. Although i would say that it's predecessor accomplished a far higher percentage of proposed structures. But as we see on this one, poor Loefler continues to have a replacement planned, but with no funding to it.

Kirkpatrick (via the rest of the old building) is connected to BSoM. And choosing Acoustics that benefited the Theater/Opera programs only made sense, since that is the SoM's bread and butter. It's why They'll make the new PAC a Theater/Opera hall and then convert Kirkpatrick into a orchestral hall.

[Midtowner]

Another problem with the Petree is that the stage is way too small. A full size orchestra barely fits.

[Teo9969]

Another problem with the Petree is that the stage is way too small. A full size orchestra barely fits.

I mean, it's a recital hall. It's actually probably too big.

The performance space really isn't the biggest concern for the Music school right now. Need more money to pay professors. The halls are at least 5 years out from becoming a focus. None of us really complain about performance space because our rehearsal space is so excellent (and that's what we deal with every day).

[bombermwc]

All you lucky folks in the Bass....my time there was stuck in the Parker section of Petree... in those horrible paper-thin-wall "practice" rooms. I'm trying to cram a marimba in a room and all i can hear is a voice major bellowing next door...ALL the time. Then lugging our crap up and down the elevator, having to take it all apart every time.

It's so awesome that the space it what it is now. I drool over the practice rooms for sure.

We actually tried to have a Wind Phil rehearsal in Kirkpatrick a few times while i was there too. It was a disaster....and simply getting on-stage for that was a pain. Not to mention how the floor feels like you're going to fall through with how fluid it is. And that depressing gray paint inside...ugh.

[Teo9969]

All you lucky folks in the Bass....my time there was stuck in the Parker section of Petree... in those horrible paper-thin-wall "practice" rooms. I'm trying to cram a marimba in a room and all i can hear is a voice major bellowing next door...ALL the time. Then lugging our crap up and down the elevator, having to take it all apart every time.

It's so awesome that the space it what it is now. I drool over the practice rooms for sure.

We actually tried to have a Wind Phil rehearsal in Kirkpatrick a few times while i was there too. It was a disaster....and simply getting on-stage for that was a pain. Not to mention how the floor feels like you're going to fall through with how fluid it is. And that depressing gray paint inside...ugh.

I was actually in the first class to have the Bass from Day 1. But I do remember going up to the school for a variety of functions (performances, audition, meet Dr. Knight, etc.) and hearing horn players practicing in the hall. One of the marimbas was always located at the end of the hall on the second story. I really can't imagine how you all functioned.

[KingOfTheNorth]

I found this video of OCU going around facebook that shows some good old shots of OKC and OCU. A good watch if you have the time: https://youtu.be/7dRjee76k7I

[Pete]

Just took this one... Love the way it turned out.

[OKCDrummer77]

^ That should be on the cover of their course catalog or admissions brochures.

[Plutonic Panda]

OCU is getting a new president.

https://tulsaworld.com/ap/state/okla...9ba126189.html

On a side note, does anyone else see OCU as a closed off campus? I wish it integrated with the city more. It would also be cool to see the Shepherd Center razed and turned into an urban village with a modest expansion of the university itself.

[Midtowner]

I attended OCU when the law school was still at the main campus. As a law student who went to school next door to the undergrads, I would say the campus felt pretty closed off. They also have some very strict curfew rules.

[coop2773]

I attended OCU when the law school was still at the main campus. As a law student who went to school next door to the undergrads, I would say the campus felt pretty closed off. They also have some very strict curfew rules.

What curfews? I attended OCU and also confirmed with friends that have worked there since the 80's and no one has ever heard of a curfew at OCU.

[bombermwc]

Actually yeah the residential students did have curfews....and to be honest, it's for their protection given the area the school is in. I was there in the early 2000's. I didn't live on campus, but a lot of friends did. They weren't curfews in the sense that you really had a "punishment" for breaking it, but it was a time that you were advised to be back by. I think the women's dorm had some more stringent rules. They couldn't do much about some of the other dorms that still have door facing outside...no way to monitor that well. Not to mention a lot of activities in places like the music school went on until very late night. Many times I didn't leave the music building until 11 or later from rehearsals.

Most of the people that live near the school know to keep their distance because security will tackle their butts. But then there's always that person that wanders in drunk and needs to get tackled.

[Midtowner]

What curfews? I attended OCU and also confirmed with friends that have worked there since the 80's and no one has ever heard of a curfew at OCU.

In the dorms.

[Midtowner]

Many times I didn't leave the music building until 11 or later from rehearsals.

I had a music scholarship at UCO in the early 2000s and play with various groups around town (or will again soon) we've probably crossed paths lots of times.