More than 100 high school students from different parts of Shelby County recently finished the Geier Project.
Geier, which began on the evening of July 10, gave minority high school students in grades 10 through 12 the chance to live on campus for a week. The students attended English class workshops in the morning and science class workshops in the afternoon.
The program allowed the students to make purchases at the bookstore, get their own campus ID’s and go through processes such as admissions, financial aid, scholarship and career workshops.
From 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. the students were kept busy with the various University-related activities, which helped acquaint them with campus life and the student schedule. Each night they were treated to either a movie or a pool and gym party.
“We wanted them to be serious in the day, but have fun in the evening,” said Dr. Larry Houk, the coordinator for the afternoon sessions and a professor of chemistry.
Houk said each workshop was split into five different days. The group was split into five different groups, where each one attended a different workshop each day and culminated in all the groups each attending the same workshop.
In addition to their day-to-day activities, the students also took field trips to both the campus’ water treatment plant and the earthquake center.
The Geier Project originated from a court case in 1968 that argued against the racially divided system of higher education in Tennessee. The project is meant to introduce minority high school students to required University courses, as well increase the enrollment and activity of minority students in Tennessee state institutions.
“It’s another way to increase the number of college students in Tennessee schools,” Houk said.
Also with the introduction of courses such as physics, students are able to get a head start on some of the required classes for college while still in high school, according to the professors involved in the program.
“I spoke to them about problems they need to know about and which classes they should take,” said Leonard Jamerson, a research assistant at Earthquake Center.
Jamerson, who taught physics for his week in the project, said many of the students in the program have never taken high school physics. He said an introduction to the science now could help them better prepare for it when they actually get into the college level.
The introduction of physics could also help prepare some of the students planning to enter college as science majors, Jamerson said.
Students who participated in the biology and chemistry part of the program were allowed to participate in class activities at the Meeman Biological Field Station and run experiments in the chemistry labs.
“We went out to the woods,” said Dr. Jack Grubaugh, the director for the Meeman Biological Field Station and an associate professor in biology. “If you’re going to be here, (you need to) spend some time out in the field.”
The chemistry labs also kept several students’ attention and was the best way for them to do work without getting bored, said Dr. Richard Petersen, an associate professor of chemistry.
“We did demonstrations and related them to real world experiences,” Petersen said.
Petersen said the work involved studying reactions of coppers and working with instruments such as Bunsen burners.
“They seemed to be enthusiastic about the demos,” Petersen said.
After the workshops the students seemed to have developed a new-found appreciation for the campus, Jamerson said.
“It was an interesting experience,” Petersen said.
