Southwest Field Trip cancelled due to lack of interest
Amber Bond
Issue date: 2/16/09 Section: News
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The Southwest Field Trip lasted three weeks- one week in the classroom preparing and two weeks out in the field- in Maymester.
Students had the chance to earn six credit hours, three hours in geography and three hours in geology.
Students were immersed in a sea of education as they learned about the Grand Canyon's formation and the lifestyle of ancient pueblo people in Mesa Verde's cliff dwellings.
"There was so much to see, learn, and experience. The memories we had together as a group were priceless. I'll never forget them," said Matthew Walling, who attended SWFT last Maymester.
Vol State's Foundation granted a $1,000 scholarship to each student for cost of the two courses.
"If it wasn't for the Foundation I wouldn't have been able to go," said Walling.
The SWFT was scheduled to take off again this Maymester, but complications arose. According to Bell and Cropper only three people submitted applications.
"We need a critical mass if we're going to get a van or vans or something like we did last time to go out there," said Bell. "So, yeah, response was poor."
"We talked about it in our classes, we gave presentations and invited people in to talk about what we were going to do. The one talk we did have had more teachers than it did students. Four students came to that and none of them submitted. So apparently there wasn't a desire for it anymore," Bell said.
Both professors also sent out e-mails to their classes, had their colleagues tell their classes, had blogs, and posted flyers on bulletin boards.
"We had gotten out the same kind of message that we got out last time, but with a much different response," claimed Bell.
"Read your e-mails, or tell your teachers to give you updates on things. But if you don't read your e-mails there's only so many different ways I can try and reach you. Students have to be aware that this is college not high school plus one. They don't know what everything this school has to offer, and it's a lot! It's remarkable how much this school does to educate and to enlighten and to bring the world to these people," Bell said.
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