The walls of the Armstrong Middle School gymnasium reverberated Friday morning as more than 270 campers at the 2010 Summer Enrichment Camp were greeted by a surprise visitor: 2009 American Idol finalist and Columbus native Jasmine Murray.
Campers used the final day of the four-week camp to perform songs, dances and other demonstrations for their parents, but the sweltering gymnasium erupted with screams when camp director Jim Gassaway announced Murray, 18, was going to put on a surprise performance. Murray”s niece, Taylor Mosley, attended the camp.
“It”s always really cool when I can come back home and perform for a group of kids,” Murray said. “I mean, I love any audience, but this is just really great because they”re all trying to get musically inclined and I think that”s wonderful at their age. I”m really excited to perform for them and I”m really happy with what they”re doing. They”re playing instruments and learning how to play the guitar and things like that. I just think it”s amazing.”
The camp, designed for kids from third grade through eighth, offered activities from music, fine arts and culture to science, technology and community service.
In one room, campers built a small city out of Legos. Nearby, they constructed a roller coaster out of K”NEX. Claymation, photos, art work and other projects also were on display.
The goal of the camp was to provide a fun, but academically and culturally stimulating environment for Starkville School District students to spend their summer days, Gassaway said.
“We want them to see that school doesn”t stop in May,” he said. “We can continue their education so they can connect the pieces they”re getting in the school day and apply it in our activities in the month of June so they go back to school in August with more energy, more education and they gain more in the classroom.”
“It truly is what its name is: enrichment,” agreed Ginger Tedder, service learning coordinator for the Summer Enrichment Camp. “We want them to see that there are different elements in education. In the summer, it”s kind of nice to focus on the more fun elements or the enriching elements of education.”
Lenora Samuel, head of engineering activities at camp, looked on with amusement as her students rushed about Friday morning. Corey Moore, 9, pointed out portions of the Lego city he built, while Michelle Li, 12, Melinda Xu, 13, and Cici Zhang, 10, completed last-minute work on their roller coaster.
This was the third summer Samuel has taught the engineering portion of the camp. The enthusiasm of the students, many of whom want to be engineers one day, brought a smile to her face.
“This year I could really tell they really wanted to do this,” Samuel said.
Arbanie Sykes, a member of Starkville High School”s Project PASS dance team, said she thoroughly enjoyed the camp.
“I really enjoyed this experience,” Sykes said. “I had a wonderful time.”
Ward 2 Alderwoman Sandra Sistrunk attended a portion of the closing ceremonies Friday and asked Sykes what she learned. Her answer was simple.
“It”s nice to be nice,” Sykes said.
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