The end of the semester is nearing and final exams are quickly sneaking up on us. The semester is quickly coming to an end with yet so much still left to accomplish. As I am approaching the end of my semester long Microbiology project, we are nearly just beginning our latest Biochemistry lab on the analysis of microarrays. Meanwhile my Spanish class is busy memorizing lines and studying the play that we will be performing for the entire campus in Spanish!
As final exams arise and final papers and projects are due, ACE is still working hard to plan events for the students, especially to give everyone good study breaks during this crazy time of the year. This week ACE is taking its event off campus to Winter Park’s new restaurant, Strollos Cucina Due, for food demonstrations and dessert tasting.
Also, coming up this week is our third Rollins After Dark event, filled with Karaoke, pottery painting sponsored by All Fired Up, Wii and Guitar Hero competitions, and of course, the ever so famous free breakfast buffet. In the beginning of December ACE will be playing National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation down in Dave’s Down Under with Christmas treats and a hot cocoa bar!
This week I traveled to Fern Creek Elementary School, a local Elementary school that Rollins works hand-in-hand with, to perform science experiments with the fourth grade class. There are several organizations on campus that reach out to Fern Creek students in diverse ways all year long. Rollins has been working with Fern Creek with a variety of service learning projects for many years now. Events such as Pathways to College, a day when Fern Creek students visit Rollins and learn what college is all about, the Science Academy, a program designed by Dr. Gregory to increase the exposure to science at Fern Creek, a mentorship program involving students at Rollins, and the Oral Health Care Education Program sponsored by the American Student Dental Association where students are taught oral hygiene lessons and are given toothbrushes, tooth paste, floss and disclosing tablets, are all programs that define the partnership Rollins has with Fern Creek Elementary School.
During our visit this week we worked with the students on learning about bacteria, both good and bad, that we find in our food, especially milk. We performed an experiment with them to determine which type of milk product has the greatest number of bacteria cells: fresh milk, fresh milk that was left of the counter overnight, go-gurt, or Nesquick vanilla milk. The kids had an absolute blast with the experiment, especially since it is something that they could relate to.
I personally really enjoy working with the students of Fern Creek as they are always so eager to learn and appreciative spending time and learning from college students. The students, faculty, and staff of Rollins that work with Fern Creek are truly viewed as role models to these students!
As the weather starts getting a little bit colder I get more and more excited about Christmas break and heading home for the holidays. I can’t wait to get a little taste of a true Wisconsin winter, and of course spend time with my friends, family, and fiancée! I saw Christmas decorations up today, the first I have seen so far this season, and even though I have been down here several years, it’s still a little strange to me to see Christmas lights on palm trees! Oh well, that’s Florida for ya! Well, it’s time to buckle down, finish up the semester strong, and head home!
Photo: Fern Creek student working on milk bacteria lab
Video: Spanish class performance of "La Nona" by Roberto Cossa.
As she begins her fifth and final year at Rollins, Jenn is clearly not a new student to the Rollins community. After studying abroad in Spain and having two very different concentrations, Spanish and Pre-dental, she is spending her last year finishing up her dental school prerequisites and completing her Spanish major. Staying at Rollins for another year has allowed her to continue being involved on campus as well.
Jenn is the director of All Campus Events (ACE), the president of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA), and a member of the Academic Honor Council, NSCS, and Omicron Delta Kappa Honors Society. She also enjoys teaching oral health care lessons to elementary students. “I think that my diverse involvement on campus and experiences will allow me to relate to many Rollins students and offer valuable insight to college life,” Jenn said.
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