Greene County high school students experience college life
April 6, 2024; 2:42 p.m.

Students learn during Old Oak Workshops at Tusculum University

Bill Bledsoe, wearing the hoodie, reviews a student’s art; image by Tusculum

GREENEVILLE, TN – Students from two Greene County schools experienced campus life and learned from Tusculum University faculty and staff members as well as students in a fun and inviting manner during the annual Old Oak Workshops Friday, April 5.

The Tusculum employees provided active and experiential learning for the 68 students from West Greene High School and South Greene High School who attended this traditional event. Students had an opportunity to discover more about poetry, voting, video games, the heart and many other subjects in three hourlong sessions. They were also able to eat in the Tusculum cafeteria.

Students dissect a heart; image by Tusculum	Dr. Heather Henson Ramsey, middle, helps administer an electrocardiogram on a student; image by Tusculum

“We relish the opportunity to bring these students to Tusculum for additional learning and fun,” said Vicky Johnson Bós, associate professor of English, who leads the event. “Civic engagement is an element of our mission, and the workshops provide us an opportunity to further develop our relationships with local schools and show why Tusculum would be an excellent place for students to continue their studies.”

The event has been connected to the Old Oak Festival for several years and used to be held on the same weekend. However, school calendar requirements for Greene County students have necessitated that the workshops now be conducted at an earlier date. The workshops now serve as an excellent way to build additional excitement for the festival, which will be held Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, on campus. Eleven faculty and staff members and four students conducted the sessions. They were:

• Bill Bledsoe, assistant professor of art and design – “Drawing”
• Dr. Nick Davidson, chair of the Sport Management Department – “Video Games”
• Michelle DeFord, director of clinical experience for the College of Education – “Back to the Playground”
• Dr. Wei Hu, assistant professor of mathematics – “The Game of SET”
• Dr. Josh Martin, assistant professor of English – “Finding Your Poetic Voice”
• Stacey McGill, associate director of Upward Bound Math and Science – “Career Assessment”
• Dr. Heather Henson-Ramsey, dean of the College of Science, Technology and Mathematics, assisted by Tusculum student Skylar Lane Johnson – “Anatomy of the Heart”
• Steve Schultz, director of Tusculum Arts Outreach – “Stop Wasting Your Time Reading Shakespeare”
• Dr. Shelby Ward, assistant professor of interdisciplinary studies – “Get Out the Vote”
• Walter Wimberly, assistant professor of computer science – “Understanding Data in the Digital Age”
• Jim Wozniak, director of communications – “Media and Public Relations Writing”
• Tusculum students Josie Norton, Tiger Vinson and Todd Wallin – “Scriptwriting”

Students share their thoughts in the scriptwriting class; image by Tusculum	Walter Wimberly delivers his lecture “Understanding Data in the Digital Age.”; image by Tusculum

“I am grateful for all of the faculty, staff and students who embraced this opportunity to connect with our guests and provide them with a terrific day on campus,” Johnson Bós said. “They contributed diverse subject matter and excellent instruction, which enabled these high school students to grow their knowledge. We trust that the students left campus with a positive feeling about their day at Tusculum and what we have of offer our local graduates.”

Christy Mysinger, a sophomore English teacher at South Greene, said the day at Tusculum represented a day away from the regular classroom while still producing learning.

“It exposes them to a college that’s local,” Mysinger said. “There is a stigma for some kids who think, ‘I don’t want to go there because I can’t have a true college experience.’ But I think they can. Plus, I like the fact that I went to school here. I liked it well enough that years after I graduated with bachelor’s degree in 2002, I came back here when I pursued my master’s. I just think there’s something to be said about a local college. I hope the students have discovered that they can go to school here and have a lot of opportunities they may not have realized.”

Students examine hearts; image by Tusculum	Students play games in the esports and gaming lab at Tusculum; image by Tusculum

Msyinger earned her bachelor’s in organizational management and her master’s in teaching.

“I hope the students take from the day that there are careers out there they might not have thought of based on what they learned at the ‘Career Assessment’ session,” she said. “I hope they also learn we don’t have to be on our cell phones all of the time as a result of their experience in the ‘Back to the Playground’ session. They are learning you can have fun without your phone crammed in your face. Hopefully, the students who attended the ‘Get Out the Vote’ session will grow their mindset to be willing to go vote.”

More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.