Study USA — The University of Mississippi

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Clarksdale, MS: Carson Mounds Archaeology Field School

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Gulf Coast: Geologic Investigations of the Barrier Islands

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NEWS

Study USA Summer 2012
by: Tully Taylor

Many University of Mississippi students traveled across the country for Study USA courses this summer. Some went near and others went far. Regardless of location the students gained knowledge and experience unattainable on campus. And they had fun doing it.

Cathy Grace, lecturer in geology, took a group to the Gulf Coast for a Geological Investigations of the Northern Gulf of Mexico Barrier Islands and Coastal Environments class. The class also visited Galveston Island, Ship Island, Santa Rosa Island and St. George Island.

Dakota Kolb, a senior geology major from Brandon, was excited to do something a little different with his fieldwork. This was his first time focusing on a coastal setting and the fact it was his home state made it special.

“Mississippi is my home and I love my state,” Kolb said. “It's really exciting to learn about the changes your home has gone through in the past because that tells you why it is the way it is today and what you can expect for the future.”

Thomas Story, a graduate student from Charleston, Mo. getting his M.A. in geology petroleum geology and exploration, found that the class strengthened his understanding of the “fragility of coastal barrier islands and man's effects on them.”

Story and Kolb both agreed the close-knit group setting was vital to the learning process. Story pointed out that watching graduates and undergrads work together to conduct a study was a rewarding aspect of the class.

“Several who may not have been as likely to be quite as vocal in large on-campus classes took on roles as leaders or contributors,” Story said.

Kolb enjoyed not only the geology coursework, but also the attitude and camaraderie of his fellow students and professor.

“I'll never forget hanging out on a river kicking it with the manatees. Those are the kinds of people they are. The kind that will spend their day fishing or paddle boarding with manatees when they aren't hard at work,” Kolb said. “They're all ridiculously fun loving, chill, brilliant folks.”

About 1100 miles northeast of the Gulf Coast Dr. Marvin King, associate professor of political science, took a group to Washington, DC for an African American Political Institution in 2012 Elections course.

“With this class specifically we wanted to look at African American politics in the 2012 election,” he said. “So we visited different offices that have a particular stake in the African American vote.”

The group visited the Republican and Democratic National Committees, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the Urban League and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. They also visited with Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson’s office. The Capitol, Library of Congress and the Newseum were also on the itinerary.

The class was an exciting opportunity to visit D.C. and learn more about the African American vote for Emerson George, a sophomore political science and business major from Tallahassee.

“We stayed in a really cool hotel on Capitol Hill and everyday we would go as a class to various institutions, think tanks and organizations, George said. “It was a really inspiring experience learning from the organizations themselves… [the experience] showed me all of the different sides of the political spectrum and how many different career opportunities there are.”

Connor Williams, a senior criminal justice major from Tupelo, seized the opportunity to explore DC and learn from King.

“I could not have asked for a better professor than Dr. Marvin King. The wealth of knowledge gained from him and the different political institutions and sites we visited is invaluable,” Williams said.

King said students are usually in awe of DC and being immersed in the city is one of the group’s favorite aspects of the DC classes.

“It’s a great opportunity for students who may not have had that experience before to travel,” he said. “It’s gratifying for the students to see the nation's capital … to visit the seat of power if you will. It's a good experience and humbling for the students.”

George added Washington, DC had an electrifying buzz in the air with the presidential election around the corner.

“There was an excitement and competition in the air everywhere we went. People were holding up signs and posters for one party or the other,” he said.

Even though he is not a political science major, Williams said the course and the exciting vibe of DC changed his perspective and influenced him to be more active.

“This [experience] inspired me to want to come back [home] and do more than just vote, to become a part of the political process,” Williams said. “It is a very eye-opening experience and I'm certain that students will not return the same as they left.”

For summer 2012 Study USA offered classes that went to Clarksdale for an anthropology course, the Biltmore Estate in N.C. for a nutrition and hospitality management course, Mound Bayou for a social work course, Okolona/Mound Bayou for a sociology course, Baltimore/Washington, DC for a chemistry course and Texas/New Mexico/Arizona for a criminal justice course.

This Wintersession Study USA is offering courses across the United States. A journalism course is taking place in New Orleans. A biology class is traveling to Miami. And Las Vegas is the destination for a hotel management course. For more information about Study USA visit http://www.outreach.olemiss.edu/study_usa/.

For more information about specific programs or the application process, contact Laura Antonow, Program Director for Study USA at antonow@olemiss.edu or (662) 915 6511.