Textbooks have given way to Sudoku, South Park, and sushi this summer as the top high schoolers in the state gather for the 32nd annual Mississippi Governor’s School at Mississippi University for Women.
The eclectic courses, which began June 4 and end June 22, are designed to challenge academically advanced juniors and seniors while teaching leadership, encouraging creativity and improving critical thinking skills.
The theme of this year’s program is “Leading with Vision,” and Thursday afternoon, students in J.J. Sylvia IV’s “How Do Wii Kinect?” class were examining the use of technology for positive change.
Holden Hays, of Brandon, hunched over his computer, working to design a website to encourage students to study more.
The premise, he and his teammates surmised, is students might find motivation if they saw, in real-time, the study status and location of other students, in case they wanted to study together.
Though Hays had been exposed to web design at his high school, his teammate, Meghin Neal, of Sidon, had not.
“I never knew how to make a website until like five minutes ago,” Neal said. “It makes me feel real good.”
She said though she doesn’t consider herself an advanced user of technology, the class encourages her to dig deeper.
Another group grappled with a fitness application to encourage exercise and another tried to figure out how to persuade shoppers to use virtual mannequins to cut down on store returns.
Sylvia, who works for Picayune-based nonprofit Digital Opportunity Trust, said this is the fourth year he has used his vacation to teach at Governor’s School.
Other courses offered this session include: “Allusion and Philosophy in South Park,” which aims to uncover the intellectualism and philosophy behind the controversial television show; “Beauty or the Beast?,” which explores the philosophies of art and beauty; and “Play to Win,” which analyzes the mathematics behind games like Sudoku, Tic-Tac-Toe and dominoes.
Sylvia said the non-traditional courses offer students experiences they wouldn’t normally have, allowing them to interact with other gifted peers in a way they may not be able to at their high schools, providing a unique sense of belonging.
“People go through (Governor’s School) and it changes their lives,” Sylvia said.
The Mississippi Governor’s School was founded in 1981 by Gov. William F. Winter and the faculty and administration at MUW. Since the program’s inception, more than 4,000 students across the state have attended the school.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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