News
PAGE 4
Today, Oceanside. Tomorrow,
the World
Hayden Lyskoski
Staff Writer
New Director of Arts
Engagement & Program
Expansion, Abbe Levine
Photo courtesy of: OCSA
website
Keeping up with OCSA’s plans to take its
mission and vision to the
next level, the school has
made Abbe Levine its
Director of Arts Engagement & Program Expansion. Levine, a former
co-director of the Creative Writing Conservatory, starts her new position
December 1.
The Director of Arts
Engagement & Program
Expansion position was
specifically created
for Levine as a result of
OCSA’s constant expansion into new ventures.
According to Levine, “We
are always creating new
events, new programs,
new conservatories, and,
most recently, we have
plans to recreate our
school on a whole new
campus [in San Diego
County]. We needed
a dedicated person to
focus on these expansion
efforts and help with the
strategic planning that
they necessitate.”
In addition to expansions, Levine will also oversee the development of
new summer classes and
programs for “2015 and
beyond,” she said.
“I think this position
reflects OCSA’s ability to
think a few steps ahead,”
she said. “It took foresight
to realize that we needed
an additional administrator to be focused on
planning for the future.”
The announcement
came in early November,
when Levine revealed
she would be leaving
Creative Writing in the
conservatory’s newsletter. “It’s special and I feel
special that I got to be a
part of it for so long,” she
wrote of her tenure in
CW. “I’m proud to have
had a hand in helping to
make this conservatory
what it is, but it is far truer
to say that this conservatory made me who I
am.”
During her time as
co-director, Levine developed many close relationships and still considers the faculty and
populus of the conservatory her second family. “I
hope they come visit me
often,” she said.
Overall, Levine believes she will thrive as
OCSA’s Director of Arts
Engagement & Program
Expansion. She said “I
believe I have shown a
passion and dedication
for collaboration between conservatories
through a variety of special projects and events.
I hope that I have a
record of being a reliable administrator with
creative vision.”
Tragedy Inspires One-Woman Play
Bridgette Blankenhorn
Staff Writer
Sarah Harrod
Features Editor
Five years ago, 17-yearold Chelsea King was
abducted in San Diego
while going out for an
afternoon jog. King was
the niece of OCSA’s
acting teacher, Stephanie Dorian. Through the
grieving process, Dorian
decided to write and star
in a one woman show,
“Above Water” through
the point of view of Chelsea King’s mother, Kelly.
“It’s a tribute to my aunt
and the hard journey that
she has been on trying to
come to terms with such
an unimaginable loss,”
says Dor