THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 2, 1996 TAG: 9604300138
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
It wasn't your typical school day Friday for some 320 Ruffner Middle School students.
Instead of attending classes, they spent the day at Nauticus.
Given a choice of the three ``R's'' or free run of Norfolk's National Maritime Center, there wasn't any question regarding which the kids preferred.
``I like this a lot better,'' said seventh-grader Lamont Surratt, 13. ``It's not as boring. My favorite part would be virtual reality. I'll probably get to see it.''
``It's fun,'' said classmate Erica Leonard, 13. ``I found out we were coming a week ago. The movie, `The Living Seas,' is my favorite, but I don't think we'll have time to see it.''
The special activities started on Thursday, April 25, in the Ruffner auditorium.
Dr. Duane Harding, in cooperation with Norfolk State University and Tidewater Community College, used Ruffner's installed Internet connections, to take a look at the world of weather.
On Friday, Nauticus and the city rolled out the red carpet for the kids. In addition to the free visit, local colleges, universities, museums, businesses, and government agencies set up a learning fair in the pavilion area behind Nauticus, until high winds forced them to take down the displays. The Coast Guard offered tours of the 82-foot cutter Point Huron, docked behind the center.
The wind forced the students inside Nauticus, where they busied themselves with the facility's displays and exhibits.
``I've got about 320 kids,'' said Clifton Harrison, Ruffner's dean of students for the seventh-grade floor. ``They came at 9 a.m. and arrived here to do the tour and view the presentations. They'll be here the entire day. This is a learning day for all Norfolk educators.''
The entourage included 25 teachers and chaperones, including some parent volunteers. Each group of 10 students, explained Harrison, required one parent from each home room. Twelve home rooms were represented.
Nauticus became the kids' classroom-for-a-day to permit technicians to install the communications hook-ups for $1.3 million worth of computers donated to their school by Cox Communications, according to Harrison.
``This will get us on the Internet,'' he said, ``on-line. We'll be able to do so many fantastic things thanks to this generous gift. And the city has been fantastic.''
Paul Levine, Nauticus' director of marketing, appeared pleased by the visit, as he hurried about the facility, filling in for a staff member who had departed the day before.
``We'll try and sneak as many as we can into the movie,'' he said. ``The wind has forced us to change our plans a bit.''
Special education teacher Janice James was happy to talk about the experience, provided she could keep an eye on her sixth- and seventh-graders.
``This is my first visit,'' she said, ``and for my students, too. They're enjoying it, especially the visual and hands-on. They like touching things. I think they're getting an education, most definitely. They're doing things they've never done before. The men on the ship explained it to them, not using technical terms, but in terms they can understand. I would like to do it again. I'm glad we were included in this.''
Teachers Gloria Brown and Teresa Parks rated the day a success with their students, too.
``They're having a great time, really enjoying it,'' said Parks. ``We've been aboard a Coast Guard cutter and they thought that was great.''
Lunch, at Nauticus, included bag lunches, pizza and beverages, said Harrison.
Each student was given a bag, he added, containing samples from the displays and exhibits and coupons from McDonald's.
Buses returned the students to school at 1:35 p.m.
After their day at Nauticus, the students would participate in an essay contest, affording them a chance to write down and share what they had learned. Prizes, including family passes to area museums, were provided by area businesses. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON
Seventh-graders Magdiel Asencio, left, and Robert Golden play an
interactive game at Nauticus called Treasure Hunt.
by CNB