SDSU reaches out to local students
About 50 Mann middle-schoolers took part in a day of exploration on campus
Laura Vogltanz, Staff Writer
Issue date: 4/18/05 Section: City
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On April 14, the center brought about 50 sixth-graders from the ethnically diverse local Mann Middle School for a day of exploration at SDSU. Each student was chosen on a reward basis and took part in various programs with faculty, staff and SDSU students.
Leah Allen, a teacher at Mann Middle School and one of the planners of the event, said the school wanted the sixth-graders to get a feel as to what college life was like.
"We are hoping to work with the center and follow these students through sixth, seventh and eighth grade," Allen said.
Stephanie Leuer, a graduate intern at the center and one of the event planners, said the sixth-graders were split into groups to visit at least two professors and their students.
Geography professor Eric Frost gave a slideshow presentation in the SDSU visualization laboratory titled "Exploring the World," in which students were shown pictures of the area surrounding SDSU and Mann Middle School. They were also shown pictures of Earth and Mars.
Another group of students met with biology professor Robert Pozos and his undergraduate research assistant Jon Lopez in the bioengineering/motor control laboratory. Students participated in experiments measuring oxygen levels in their muscles as they performed simple exercises such as typing.
Middle-schoolers also met with art professor Hollis Litrownik during her class time with students from an art for teachers class.
She volunteered her classroom for these students and planned a project for them called "Don't Bug Me," which included drawing their names on pieces of paper and making mirror images of them.
Litrownik said she chose this project because it was quick, and the students were able to take it home with them.
"The students use a lot of creativity and imagination that came from their name being on both sides of the paper," Litrownik said. "It can turn into a bug, person, alien, creature or anything they can see, and then they work with color and make a pattern, trying to make it symmetrical on both sides.