CampUs hosts high school freshmen

The courtroom was silent as the foreman rose to deliver the verdict in Nugent vs. the State. “Not guilty,” she said. The defense cheered and the prosecution received encouraging pats on the back. This was no ordinary court case: the judge and mentors were FIU college students and the prosecutors and defense attorneys were incoming high school freshmen.

The mock trial was one of several activities in CampUs, a weeklong program July 5-11 at Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC). Sponsored by the South Florida chapter of After School All-Stars, the initiative seeks to better prepare 8^th graders for high school and college. FIU was one of only seven universities in the nation selected to participate in the summer program.

“The kids came from the After School All Stars program for students identified as coming from homes with established financial need and who might be at risk of dropping out in high school,” said Charlene Eberly, administrative coordinator and project manager in the Office of Engagement. “While here, they had a program of academic enrichment and exposure to college and careers.”

Fifty-five participants from Miami, Orlando, Atlanta and Ohio stayed in the MMC dorms. They attended classes, lectures and interactive demonstrations centered on getting through high school and into college. Each day’s activities focused on a specific theme such as teamwork, creativity and empathy. As part of the program, students became more acquainted with the PSAT/SAT/ACT, FIU and academic paths available to them.

“After the trial that we did, I think I might want to be a lawyer too,” said Tamara Johnson, a student attending Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy. “We learned so much about what we have to do to get through college, it was an amazing experience.”

“After we finished the mock trial, many of the students said that they had found their calling as lawyers,” said Anthony Rouzier, a second-year FIU law student who helped mentor the defense during the mock trial. “It was amazing to help facilitate that experience.”

“For our students, that’s leadership development – when they’re able to connect with kids who are younger and start thinking of themselves as potential leaders,” said Divina Grossman, vice president for the Office of Engagement.

In addition to the mock trial, students witnessed a tank experiment showing density-driven circulation about El Nino and La Nina with Distinguished Research Professor Hugh Willoughby, and a demonstration of the scanning electron microscope by Barbara Maloney, FCAEM instructor. To round out their visit, the group toured the woodshop at the Paul Cejas Architecture Building and performed a drawing exercise given to all incoming architecture students.

— Emily Cochrane