THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 28, 1996 TAG: 9604260154
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 30 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
CARRIE NAUMANN can introduce herself in German. Ramona Wilson has seen ``The Blob,'' and Drew Raynor knows what kind of impact the Vietnam War had on American foreign policy.
These three preteens were among 120 Lynnhaven Middle School sixth-graders who traded geometry and mythology lessons for some higher learning Wednesday, when they spent part of their school day at Virginia Wesleyan College.
``The College Experience Field Trip'' gave members of the ``Navigators'' team a chance to see what being a college student is all about. Divided into groups of five, the children spent three hours touring the campus, visiting a classroom for a 50-minute lecture and asking a student panel questions about college life.
``They were ready for this,'' said sixth-grade teacher Stacey Feldman. ``They have been very well-prepared.''
Two weeks of preparation, 45 minutes a day, to be exact.
Feldman and the four other ``Navigators'' teachers - Betsy Lake, Kelly Griffiths, Darlene Robinette and Kristen Field - worked with the youngsters on a variety of college-related assignments prior to the field trip. The students read up on courses in VWC's academic bulletin, studied a campus map, mock-registered for a class and filled out an application for admission, which included writing an essay.
``We'd have to cut them off everyday,'' Feldman said of their enthusiasm.
After completing their ``research,'' the students were equipped with observation sheets to take to their assigned classrooms at the college. More than 15 professors opened their doors to the guests, which gave sixth-graders the opportunity to see classes with names like ``Vertebrate Zoology,'' ``Alternative Futures'' and ``Aesthetics'' come to life.
Wearing jeans and T-shirts, and strapped down in backpacks of all colors, the sixth-graders squeezed into 22 different classrooms, finding seats among the antsy college students, who were in their last week of regular classes.
During a guided tour, the visitors wandered through the academic villages, dining area, administration building and library, and they even got to see a dorm room.
``It's so small,'' commented Beth Otto.
Besides the living quarters, the children were intrigued by the college scene overall.
``The classes are a little more relaxed than ours,'' said Laura Burns, who visited a Vietnam history class, where students laughed and joked with professor Benjamin Berry.
``Yeah, they are more social,'' added Chris Taylor. ``And we can't speak out of turn. We have to raise our hands.''
The sixth-graders said they thought it was cool that college students can eat snacks and drink coffee and Coke in class, chew gum and get up and leave whenever they want. And since they're used to a dress code, they were pleasantly surprised by some of the college students' fashion choices, which included body piercing, blue hair and bare feet.
``You get a lot more freedom in college,'' said Jeni Detweiler. ``You can do whatever you want.''
But they also learned that independence carries a price tag; VWC students paid $11,650 for tuition during the 1995-96 session.
Feldman said she and her colleagues organized the visit to inspire their students. ``This is something they can achieve,'' she said, ``and it's not too early for them to start now. Sixth grade is the halfway mark. From this point on, everything is going to make a difference.''
After the day was done, Feldman was confident the college made an impact. ``They're so excited,'' she added. ``Their only questions are `Can we stay?' and `Can we come back?' '' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by CHARLIE MEADS
During a guided tour of Virginia Wesleyan, 120 students from
Lynnhaven Middle School wandered through the academic villages,
dining area, administration building and library, and they even got
to see a college student's dorm room.
LEFT: Virginia Wesleyan student Lew Cooper guides Lynnhaven Middle
School students on a tour of his school.
RIGHT: During their three-hour tour, students like Lisa Ramsay, Drew
Raynor, Laura Burns and Chris Taylor sat in on a 50-minute history
lecture.
by CNB