Dominion Post - August 21, 2010
UHS Back to School Bash
Freshmen not the only ones to benefit
By Jim Bisset
The Dominion Post
OK, so Cody Hicks isn’t going to exactly coast through this, his senior year at University High School, which begins Monday.
After all, when you’re planning to major in criminal justice in college (right now he’s looking at either WVU or Fairmont State University), it’s easy if you’re already schooled in the art of studying, note taking and attending class.
But that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to set it on cruise from time to time this term. You know, just so he can enjoy the ride.
“Oh, yeah,” he said Thursday night in the main hallway at UHS. “Senior Year. I’ve got a pretty easy schedule. I’m just gonna enjoy the ride.”
The hot dogs and retro rock ’n’ roll from the band Born Again Hindus, helped too.
The occasion was the second annual Back to School Bash, an event that’s just as much for grizzled vets like Cody as it is to all the wide-eyed freshman squinting at their schedules on the first day of class.
Cody was joined by about 1,500 of his classmates – parents too – who poured onto campus during the mellow evening that was ticking down the summer.
The idea said Tom Boom, a UHS counselor and the event’s lead organizer; is to make sure Hawks of every stripe follow the lead of Mr. Hicks.
That is, to already have a college major in mind by senior year, and to just enjoy the whole experience, both socially and academically.
“I feel really good about the turnout,” he said, “We’ve got the class schedules for the students. We’ve got the classic rock for their parents (the Hindus were heavy on the Beatles and Kinks covers), and we’ve got GEAR UP.”
GEAR UP, which stands for “Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs,” is based at Fairmont State University and is a fixture at UHS and other high schools across West Virginia.
The program teaches high schoolers the importance of planning ahead for what they might be doing academically after they turn their tassels on graduation night.
Going on to a four year college would be great, said Amie Fazalare, who directs GEAR UP’s high school partnership program – but there are other academic alternatives too.
“There are vocational training and technical programs, “ she said. “There are two-year associate degrees. The important thing is that you go on after high school.”
Mari Smith, who is entering her junior year at UHS said that sounds like a plan. But, first things first, she said.
“Let’s get Monday out of the way,” she said. “Then we’ll see what happens.”