Any Given Friday

    My first stop was the Hershey Center where the 15 Middle School kids in Steve Hart’s woodworking camp were building “three-board stools.” As they chiseled, planed and chatted among themselves, Steve explained what they were doing beyond what met the eye.
    “They’ll have a finished product to work with,” he said, “but I’m more concerned that they learn character traits like patience and perseverance.  
    “They plan.  They visualize.  They use their hands.  There’s a lot of wisdom inside our hands that informs our heads as well as our heads informing our hands how to work.”

    As I headed out, I spotted Pat Werrell playing her flute in the solitude of HCA123.
    A gifted musician and teacher, she appeared lost in the effort.
    “What’s up?” I asked, completely breaking the mood.
    Thankfully, Pat was unfazed and understanding.
    Turns out she was waiting for a student to arrive and using her time productively by rehearsing for a concert with the Richmond Pops Band in a couple of days.
    “I’ve played the flute since I was in fourth grade,” she said.  “It’s my love.  It’s my passion.”

    Next stop was the South Science Building where Kim Ball, one of our college counselors, was at her desk.
    Her office operates year-round, although the pace of life is slower than it will become by mid-August.
    She was gracious, as always.
    “We work with families and students during the summer,” she said.  “Anybody with questions can come and see us.  
    “Our rising seniors are working on essays. We’re giving them feedback.  We also write our letters of recommendation for students applying to college in the fall.
    “Students are starting the process earlier.  It’s a little bit more complicated and nuanced than maybe 5-10 years ago.  There’s a greater need for information at all points of the year, not just during the school year.”

    Down the hall, Thomas McCreary was manning the Help Desk, a venue familiar to me since he and his colleagues have unraveled many a computer dilemma for me.
    Today, he’s checking emails from folks who need the tech support that he provides, always, with a smile.
    Your work never stops, does it? I offered.
    He just smiled, then explained that, regardless of time of year, the Help Desk is always troubleshooting the slew of computers around campus and solving hardware and software issues.
    “During the summer,” he added, “it’s more project-based.  As soon as the school year ends, we’re planning for the next one.  You have new computers coming in that need to be changed out.”
    Seems like you spend most of your day staring into a screen and helping out computer illiterates like me, I said.  What excites you about that?
    “A lot of it,” he responded, “is the problem solving.  
    “It’s like solving little puzzles.  And helping people.  That’s why I got into this.”

    Across the creek, I ran into Alex Jacobs supervising a group of youngsters at Farley Macdonald’s Scientists in Action camp.
    A 2014 Collegiate graduate and James Madison University sophomore, Alex explained the kids have done a host of science-related activities during the week.
    “Tuesday,” he said, “we went to a rock quarry and watched them blow up a massive chunk of granite.  The kids loved it.  It was like fireworks with a purpose.
    “Today, we’ve been doing bubble art…seeing how many drops of water we can get onto a penny.”
    I commented that everyone was wearing a tie-dyed t-shirt.
    “Yesterday,” he said, “the t-shirts came in, and they were all white.   So the second half of camp, we dedicated to tie-dying them.  
    “We watched a video on how to do it properly.  Then, they tie-dyed their own shirt.”
    So you can find science in pretty much anything? I said.
    “Oh, yeah,” he answered.  “Bubbles, water, Gatorade bottles.
    “They know a lot more than they did at the beginning of the week. So do I.
    “And I don’t think any of the kids have left a day of camp without a smile on their face.”

    Last stop was to Collin McConaghy’s office where I got an update on the myriad activities going on around campus.
    “It’s been great,” the Summer Quest director said without hesitation.
    “We’re offering over 175 programs.  And we’re 60 to 70 spots ahead of where we were last year, so numbers are extremely good.
    “The kids are having a blast, and the teachers are having as much fun as the students.”
                                         -- Weldon Bradshaw