THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 8, 1994 TAG: 9406080501
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: D4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIMMY GNASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940608 LENGTH: NORFOLK
And they got it.
{REST} The Rover, a ship fashioned after 19th century merchant boats, sat peacefully docked at Waterside until a horde of tennis shoes stampeded the ship's deck and took command Tuesday.
``Here we go,'' yelled one youngster while another quickly grabbed the brass railing.
For these Brandon Middle School kids from Virginia Beach, the field trip served as an end-of-the-year adventure and a chance for some high seas excitement on the Chesapeake Bay.
The kids remained a blur of energy, free from their desks for a day of science experiments.
``I think this is just fantastic,'' said Leona Brewer, a Brandon Middle School humanities teacher.
It was the school's second attempt to take the kids to sea, Brewer said. A whale watch planned earlier in the year was canceled because of inclement weather. The American Rover offered its own science expedition as the alternative.
The field trip, entitled ``Sailing to History,'' offers a mixture of science, sailing and living history.
Educational specialists from Old Dominion University gave the kids doses of marine science in various demonstrations. Allen Costa, program coordinator for the Old Dominion University College of Sciences, challenged the kids to examine the results of water samples and performed salinity tests.
Old Dominion, The Chrysler Museum and The American Rover collaborated to sponsor the excursion.
The kids could look at water samples from the Chesapeake Bay, but they were not allowed to touch. High levels of sulfur compounds in the water made ``touch'' a dangerous idea. The kids were then taught the origins of such pollution.
For these sixth-graders, the excitement level remained high no matter what the activity was.
In a frenzy of tumultuous disorder, dozens of kids eagerly jumped at the opportunity to hoist up the sails. The kids also learned to tie knots and took turns steering the ship.
Capt. Brook Smith navigated over the kids' shoulders and acted as a tour guide, stopping to point out local Norfolk landmarks.
``Watch out for that boat,'' yelled one boy, as he pointed his finger toward a garbage barge.
The Rover also had its own storyteller on board.
Jenro Lembien, a World War II veteran, talked easily about his imprisonment by the Japanese.
The kids seemed fascinated by his stories as well as his random philosophies.
``The best thing in life is not wealth,'' he said at one point. ``It's to enjoy what you do, and do it with fun and enthusiasm.''
Glancing around The American Rover, it was easy to see 115 kids sharing that same philosophy.
by CNB