Orange County Commencements

* Southern California College of Optometry: Held Friday at the Fullerton campus. Former Kansas Rep. Robert R. Whittaker spoke to the 96 receiving doctor of optometry degrees.

* Christ College Irvine: Held Saturday on the Irvine campus. About 100 degrees were conferred. the commencement speaker was Christ College professor Robert Holst, who this fall will become president of Concordia College in St. Paul, Minn. Christ College Irvine is a four-year liberal arts college run by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

* Western State University College of Law: Held Sunday at UCI’s Bren Events Center. Attorney Harold LaFlamme, a 1974 graduate of Western State who has gained recognition as an advocate for children in Orange County’s legal system, spoke to more than 260 students receiving law degrees.

* Irvine Valley College: Thursday, 6 p.m., in the courtyard of the campus at 5500 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. About 200 students are eligible to graduate. Irvine Valley College professor Pamela Deegan will be keynote speaker.

* Rancho Santiago College: Thursday, 6 p.m., in Cook Gymnasium on the Santa Ana campus at 17th and Bristol streets. About 950 students are eligible to receive degrees and certificates.

* Saddleback College: Friday, 6:30 p.m., in the campus gymnasium, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gaddi H. Vasquez will give the keynote speech for about 800 graduating students.

* Southern California College: Saturday, 10 a.m., on the campus lawn at 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft will give the commencement address to 180 graduates at the college, the only liberal arts college in the Pentecostal tradition west of the Rockies.

* Chapman College: May 26, 12:30 p.m., at the track field on campus, 333 N. Glassell St., Orange. Disneyland President Jack Lindquist will speak to about 500 graduating students.

* Golden West College: May 30, 6 p.m., in the main quad on campus, 15744 Golden West St., Huntington Beach. Jack Scott, president of Pasadena City College, will give the keynote address for about 575 graduating students.

* Orange Coast College: May 31, 6 p.m., in LeBard Stadium on campus, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. David Mertes, chancellor of the California community colleges system, will speak to about 1,200 graduating students.

* Cal State Fullerton: June 1 and 2. Eight separate commencement exercises will be held on the campus green over two days beginning at 9 a.m. June 1. About 6,000 are eligible for degrees. Speakers at the various ceremonies include new Cal State Fullerton President Milton A. Gordon, Pacific Symphony musical director Carl St. Clair and futurist author Heidi Farrell Toffler.

* Cypress College: June 6, 6 p.m., at the campus, 9200 Valley View St., Cypress. About 1,000 students are eligible to graduate.

* Fullerton College: June 6, 7:30 p.m., at the Fullerton High School Stadium, Berkeley Avenue and Lemon Street in Fullerton. About 700 are eligible to graduate.

* Coastline College: June 7, 7 p.m., at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave., Costa Mesa. Carol Aslanian, director of adult learning services for the College Board, will speak to about 350 graduating students.

* UC Irvine: June 15. Three main commencement ceremonies will be held beginning at 9 a.m. in Aldrich Park on the Irvine campus at Campus Drive and Bridge Road in Irvine. About 4,500 degrees will be conferred. UCI Chancellor Jack W. Peltason will give commencement remarks at each ceremony.