Welcome to San Diego Mesa College (or maybe it’s welcome back!) and the fall 2024
semester. The college has been busy adding new places and spaces for you to enjoy
as you roam the campus this year. From a quiet garden for meditative moments to a
resource center specifically created for those amazing parent-students among us, Mesa
College aims to provide spaces for everyone who visits our campus to feel seen and
welcome.
Whether you’re here for one class or a full day of classes, or an employee looking
to take a quick break, we invite you into our new spaces, and we hope that you’re
able to explore these places with consideration of how you’ll make your mark at Mesa
College or wherever you journey next.
Find Calm at the Mesa Meditation Garden
On the corner of Marlesta Drive and Genesee Avenue sits the westernmost part of San
Diego Mesa College’s campus. The P-annex, as it is called, is a more relaxed part
of campus — playing host to printmaking classes, the Animal Health Technology department
(and their menagerie of animals), and the TerraMesa Community Garden.
As of June 2024, the area is also home to the Mesa Meditation Garden. Members of the
TerraMesa student group worked over several years to clear an unused plot and convert
it into a tranquil space available for connection to nature, self-reflection, and
relaxation. Visitors enter a space surrounded by trees, bushes, and Torrey Pines rooted
into the towering canyon wall. The focal point — a triptych painting depicting an
agave plant in bloom — was designed by a Mesa College alumni of the TerraMesa group.
In the coming years, the group hopes the space will be used as a sanctuary and a venue
to host outdoor concerts and events, graduation photoshoots, and more.
Explore the Outdoors Along a Campus Nature Trail
The Mesa College Woodland Nature and Interpretive Trail also gives the community an
opportunity to get out into nature without leaving campus. The Upper Interpretive
section of the trail wraps around the slope of the west side of campus for about 7/10ths of
a mile, from the South Trailhead behind the Business Technology (BT) building to the
North Trailhead at Parking Lot 1.
The years-long work was completed thanks to the combined efforts of faculty, staff,
students, alumni, and the community.
It is one of the largest displays of labeled native plants in San Diego County, with
42 native species (and counting) including four endangered species. Trail-goers can
enjoy meditation spaces and catch glimpses of the Animal Health Technology Department
goats and cows, or see the local red-tailed hawks circle majestically overhead.
Family Resource Center Opens for Student-Parents
At the end of the spring 2024 semester, the Mesa College Family Resource Center opened
inside the Learning Resource Center. As part of Mesa College’s ongoing commitment
to the rights of student-parents to receive an education, the center provides a space
for student-parents and their children to study, play, and build community.
Thanks to the support of Congressmember Sara Jacobs, the center received a grant from
the Federal government that will allow it to expand services beginning in the 2024-25
school year. Plans for the expansion include workshops, extended hours of operation,
additional staff, and providing more essential supplies such as diapers and food.
Wellness Vending Machine Brings Accessibility to the Health Space
Also new to students this school year is the recently installed Wellness Vending Machine
located on the fourth floor of the Student Services Center and managed by Student
Health Services. All items from the vending machine are dispensed at a reduced cost
or for free, and purchases are anonymous.
The vending machine dispenses essential wellness items such as menstrual products, contraceptives,
a generic “morning-after” pill, pain relievers like Advil and Tylenol, as well as
pregnancy tests. Users choose their products off of a large touch-screen menu that
has a color image of each available item. Where appropriate, the machine also engages
users with health information and medication education on the dispensed items.
As part of the Campus Opioid Safety Act, there are future plans to have a free Narcan
dispenser next to the Wellness Vending Machine, whereas currently it is only available
from the Student Health Services department on the second floor.
Sprawling Mural Adorns the Fine Arts Building
Many students, faculty, staff, and community members enter Mesa College from parking
lot 1 by way of the stairs that sit between the Student Services Building and the
Fine Arts Building. These four flights and the surrounding buildings act as the college’s
welcome mat. Now, the area has been given a resounding revitalization thanks to alumnus
Andrew Alcasid and the new mural he created in the lower-level entrance of the Fine
Arts Building.
The mural extends vertically about 30 feet from the ground, reaching the third floor.
It displays a spread of floating orchids against a background of blues and greens.
Orchids, known for inhabiting almost every habitat on Earth, can be seen in many of Alcasid’s artworks scattered throughout museums around San
Diego. “I went through testicular cancer, and orchid in Greek means testicle. So,
I’m almost tied in that way by coincidence,” he shared.
Across cultures worldwide, orchids also characterize thoughtfulness, kindness, and
strength. They are the perfect representation for Mesa College students in the new
academic year.
Tags: Fall 2024, return to campus, Mesa College Campus Spaces
