Detroit fifth-graders get inside look at campus life

Confused University students watched as more than 80 fifth-graders surfed the Web in computing sites, filled the Fishbowl and infiltrated the Michigan Union basement.

On Friday, the curious students from Stellwagen Elementary School in East Detroit observed campus life with wide eyes as a part of Students Establishing Educational Dreams, a program organized by Project SERVE and the Student Athlete Advisory Council.

Walking out of the Shapiro Undergraduate Library after surfing the Web, Stellwagen fifth-grader Tierra Harris asked, "Do we get to do more fun things?"

The volunteers who buddied up with the children were University students involved in Project SERVE and other interested students.

JOY JACOBS/Daily On a guided tour of the University, Detroit fifth-graders jump on the 'M' on the Diag after learning of its symbolism. The students came to the University through a program called Students Establishing Educational Dreams.

"I think it's a great program because a lot of them were very enthusiastic about it," said Lona Stoll, an LSA first-year student. "A lot of them are really thinking about college now, and they have a better idea of what it's like."

Stoll said she was interested in getting involved with community service and saw this as an excellent opportunity.

"We played on the computers. We looked up snow tigers (on the Internet). That was fun," Harris told her teacher as the group headed to the Chemistry Building to partake in a chromatography experiment.

Friday's snowfall added to the excitement as many students tried to make snowballs without getting caught. Stellwagen fifth-grader Latoya Hicks said she enjoyed the tour of the Chemistry Building but wished the weather was warmer.

"My favorite thing was the computers. I liked the science lab," Hicks said. "I'd like to come back when it's hot."

After taking a brief tour of Central Campus, where they took turns spinning the cube near the Fleming Administration Building, the fifth graders ate lunch in the press box overlooking a snow-covered football stadium. Later, they watched the women's basketball team practice.

"This is kind of the exciting part," said Engineering senior Rich Witt, regarding the visit to the stadium. "They get to meet athletes and other students. I did this last year. This year they focused more on academics, which is good."

Stellwagen fifth-grade science teacher Linda Paynes saw this trip as an incentive for the students to go to college.

"They should be planning their future," Paynes said. "It gives them an inside view of what college life is like. They need to know what they have to do in order to come to college."

During a Q &A session, questions varied from "Do you get cable here?" and "Do you have to go to gym?" to "What kinds of grades do you have to get to go to this school?"

While in the basement of the Union, LSA junior Gregg Lanier explained the process of buying books to the children. "In college, your books aren't given to you. You have to buy them," Lanier said.

Lanier said he got involved because he thought it would be a good idea to have a representative from the LSA Student Government. He said he was touched by some of the experiences he had with the children during the day.

"They weren't intimidated by the big things like the stadium. Instead, they were intrigued," Lanier said.

Chris Drake, a Stellwagen fourth and fifth-grade math teacher, said he was excited about the trip.

"A lot of these kids need something to look forward to," Drake said.

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