Prehistoric skeletons and astronomical designs are some of the features that will adorn the new Physical Sciences and Technology Building, as it finishes development.
Cerritos College is in its fourth year of the bond build-out program responsible for the construction of this building, among other renovations.
This specific project has a particularly unique set of plans for it.
The building will include the departments of physics, astronomy, and earth sciences, and will don a number of related supplemental components on the inside and outside.
Physics and astronomy instructor Janet McLarty-Schroeder welcomes the new building and its additions.
“Well, anything that helps a student learn is a good thing. That’s the goal and I’m all for it!” she said.
Not all were content with all of the new features.
Nasreen Sarvi, psychology major, said, “I think the money used for those things would have been a lot better for something like an observatory for the building.”
Outdoor features have been completed, and are most prominent in the east plaza.
It is the designated Astronomy Observation Area for classes to use telescopes.
The design in the concrete of the plaza showcases the historical Tychonic model of our solar system.
The Tychonic system, published by astronomer Tycho Brahe in the late 16th century, has all the other planets revolving around the sun, with the sun and the moon revolving around Earth.
Tatiana Cortes, marketing major and astronomy student, said of the layout, “Honestly, I think it’s interesting. I went over there to see it myself.”
Overlooking the design is a 12-foot sundial, with brass plates inlaid into the concrete to mark the time.
Surrounding the plaza are numerous stone seating columns aligned in a circle that form Morse code messages.
When translated, they depict four physics equations: E=mc2, F=ma, W=mg, and W=fb.
Three rock outcroppings were created by stacking large slabs of sandstone at an angle protruding out of the ground as the landscaping was completed.
These types of structures are typically used in geology labs to demonstrate the analysis of rock types and visualization of the shift of the earth’s crust over time.
These are complimented by a Mesozoic garden, which contains plants from the age of the dinosaurs, such as ferns, cycads, ginkgo trees and conifers.
The Mesozoic garden will be contrasted by a Sonoran Mojave Desert garden, which houses plants adapted to a hot, dry climate.
On the outside of the entrance are Stegosaurus and Iguanodon tracks in the concrete.
McLarty-Schroeder said, “Personally, I found the dinosaur footprints interesting. They are exact replicas of footprints found in California, but those are protected, so most people don’t get to see them.”
These will be accompanied by a steel globe, five feet in diameter, to present concepts of longitude and latitude, and relations between land, water and climate distribution.
Many decorations will be found in the two-story atrium inside, as well.
Suspended from the second-floor ceiling will be the skeleton of a Pteranodon, a flying dinosaur with a 15-foot wingspan. Fish skeletons will also be hung to simulate Pteranodon food.
Display cases will contain Pterodactyl skulls and fossil dinosaur tracks.
Pictures of field trip locations and students will be shown on a digital picture frame.
As part of UC Riverside’s seismograph network, the atrium will even house a MacBook laptop with a built-in accelerometer, continuously running a seismometer application to teach seismograph analysis while keeping an eye on current seismic activity.
Dean of Science, Engineering and Math, Carolyn Chambers said, “We have made a significant start at creating this very attractive and interesting contribution to the college and to community education.”
