Story by Destinee Marking, Contributing writer
Fifty eighth-grade students from Calloway County Middle School will get to experience life on Murray State’s campus March 16.
With the theme “Roping in the Next Generation of Racers,” this year’s event marks the 33rd Annual College Day. The event will be run by students enrolled in the NLS 351 Leadership, Governance and Board Development in Nonprofit Organizations class.
Amanda Royer, logistics committee chair, said the class has been planning this event for about a month.
Royer said while at Murray State, students will play icebreakers, practice teamwork by partaking in different activities, participate in a scavenger hunt, visit residential colleges and enjoy a meal at Winslow Dining Hall.
“A lot of Calloway County kids assume they know what Murray State is all about because they drive by it all the time, but they really have no idea,” said Danielle Schwettman, Youth Services Center coordinator at Calloway County Middle School. “So, for them to be able to see what being on campus is really like, it opens up a whole new world to them.”
Schwettman said it would be great if all students could take part in this trip, but a whole eighth-grade class would be too much. Instead, around 75 students signed up for the event and 50 names were drawn to decide which students would attend.
Isaac Logsdon, junior from Clarkson, Kentucky and public relations chair for the project, said this event helps young students start thinking about their futures.
“Some kids might not know what they want to do, whether they want to come to college after they graduate high school or not,” Logsdon said.
He said students get to learn there are many different paths that can be taken once in college, if that is where they choose to go after high school.
College Day is not only helpful for eighth-graders, but also for the Murray State students involved.
“We definitely gain from running this event,” Nolan Wells, senior from Owensboro, Kentucky and project vice-chair, said. “No matter what our majors are, it is important to work with others.”
Logsdon said events like College Day are what differentiate Murray State from schools that may be more research-oriented; Murray State students get to be hands on.
Although not all eighth-graders can come to campus through this event, Wells said he believes word will spread because of the fun students have.
Schwettman said Calloway County Middle School is grateful for the opportunity to partner with Murray State for this exciting and educational event.