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Saturday, September 13, 2008 3:00 AM School offers look-see By Matt Shaw | Times Staff Writer Wilson Community College welcomed past and current students Friday with a party designed to attract the next generations of students. Hundreds of people turned out for the college's "Community Day," held 4-8 p.m. at the college campus. The event was half-open house, half-outdoor party, and all in honor of the 50 years since the institution opened its doors. And while there were plenty of educational activities, carnival activities and games were a big draw, especially for kids. You know the Lucky Striker game? The one where you swing a hammer with heft and accuracy in order to ring a bell? Well, Naheem Odem Senat, 3, had neither, but he wasn't about to let that stop him. The toddler got the hammer, which seemingly weighed half as much as he did, above his head and tottered. "He's determined! Determined," said Michael Atkinson, a WCC employee running the game. "He is determined to do it himself!" But his mom, Lashekia Odem, reached out a hand to steady the hammer. Naheem then swung it and hit the target. "Boom! That's worth a piece of candy," Atkinson said. Others were picking rubber ducks out of a pond, tossing rings onto soda bottles and trying to find the mysterious winning path of a Plinko chip. A bubble machine blew, a clown tied balloon animals and vendors served food. Some people wandered into the WCC buildings where many of the departments had set up displays. Cynthia Green waved a balloon flower at some folks and said with a smile, "Poof, you're a health care worker. Sign up for these classes." The event was a good way, she said, for people to learn about the variety of jobs available in the health care industries and how WCC can prepare them. For example, a hospital unit coordinator is someone who probably works in a receiving area or behind a desk, may admit or discharge patients, transcribes doctors orders and does other administrative work, she said. A fellow instructor, Wanda Batts said people can earn some certificates in the health care field as quickly as three months. Jobs are fairly easy with the proper credentials, she said. In a nearby lab, Dr. Moges Abebe was allowing people to assist him with experiments to complete electrical circuits and light bulbs, to condense gases into liquids and to filter solids out of water. These types of experiences can spark a kid's curiosity and maybe lead to a career in the sciences. "You don't know when there may be a turning point, a switch flipped on for someone," he said. "If we can get one student interested, that would be a success." Across the lab, biologists Susan Holland, Rebecca Harris and Jim Edgerton were showing attendees live mosquito larvae, models of the human heart and liver, microscopic views of insects, a skeleton and a model of the AIDS virus. "One person said we had the best room in the whole place," Holland said with a laugh. In the college's new "green building," not quite ready to open officially, Don Boyette and Linda Keen collected signatures for a time capsule, which was made by the college's welding students. The capsule will be buried at a spot to be determined and then opened in 2058. One person wrote, "Fifty years from now, I hope the world is a better place." Another wrote, "I hope the people working here in 2058 are as nice as the ones in 2008." By then, the kids playing games Friday night may be bringing their grandkids to WCC's 100th birthday bash. mshaw@wilsontimes.com | 265-7878 |
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