Spring Break
Showcase for Learning brings prospective students to campus
Therese Bratberg, Daily Staff Writer
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"It is exposing what San Jose State University has to offer to graduate and undergraduate students," said Duncan Lange, the event production manager.
Friday's Expo program, which ran from 3 to 7 p.m., mostly targeted graduate students and had information about the programs.
"I came here to check out their graduate programs," said Gary Yuen, a junior majoring in industrial organics for psychology. "I won't be graduating until next year, but I like how you can talk to people for your grad program so it gives you an idea of what it is."
Pim Pisalsarakit, a lecturer in linguistics and language development, said her department had professors on hand to answer questions at the booth and a computer with a text-to-speech synthesis program, in which students could type in a word and the computer would say it back to them.
"We had to have some interactive toys," she said. "We are here to give information to those interested in going to grad school."
The Spartan Shop's recruiter and training manager, Swan L. Boon, handed out brownies and said they were particularly interested in informing people about their new real estate division, which will renovate old Victorian houses and rent them out to faculty and staff.
"We are here to tell students what the whole shop is about," he said.
People mostly want general information, but a few people come with serious questions, said Joseph Frank, a professor from the school of music and dance.
"Some are even people who already have degrees," he said.
Josanna Ponsi, a graduate student in the College of Education's credential program, said this was her second time going to the event.
"I didn't realize how many schools there were," she said. "I visited about all of them."
Ponsi also said she put in an application to win one of the $500 scholarships that would be given out.
"My teacher told me we could win scholarships and find out about various colleges in case we wanted to get our master's," she said.
April Anthony, a sophomore majoring in journalism who volunteered for the event, said she gave students a chance to fill out surveys on how they heard of showcase and why they attended it so they could win scholarships.
"Every half hour they draw from the surveys," she said.
Radio station Star 101.3 was outside the showcase arena on Friday to promote its station and inform students who passed by about showcase, while KSJS took over on Saturday with its hip-hop turntable exhibition.
Saturday's event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. brought a steady stream of people to the Event Center, where the same booths were set up for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Outside the Event Center, the school of music and dance had students performing jazz and hip-hop dances.
"We wanted to showcase what we have in our dance department and what dance classes are offered," said Katie Tomich, a freshman majoring in music.
She said they performed three dances, including the first one they had learned in class.
"The stage is slippery, but we're having fun," she said.
She said Company One, a song and dance ensemble on campus, also performed tap and swing dances.
Jeremiah Smith, a sophomore aviation major volunteering at the Air Force ROTC booth, said it was important for them to be a part of the showcase since the program was growing.
"Last year we had 45 cadets and this year there are 93,"he said. "More people are interested in it, and a big group of them came out of high school."
Games, raffles and scholarship drawings drew high school students as well as college students to the tables.
The College of Social Work's spin-the-wheel was a popular game, in which the students had to spin a board and the number their spin landed on would give them a certain prize.
Billy Vennarucci, a high school senior who participated in spin-the-wheel, said he got second place and won a yo-yo and a Frisbee disc.
"I am thinking about applying to SJSU," he said.
Jason Romes, a graduate student in urban and regional planning who volunteered for the College of Social Work, said about 500 total people had participated in spin-the-wheel.
"This has been the main attraction," he said. "It's been really loud."
The College of Social Work also had a raffle, which gave students a chance to win a compact disc player by filling out a survey and answering a question.
"They have to answer what the biggest problem they have in their community is and how they would solve it," said Sylvia Andrew, the dean of the College of Social Work.
Students could win backpacks and pencils by playing dart ball, a game coordinated by academic services.
"They're looking for someone with a game, even though we're realizing people aren't that coordinated," said Michael Salazar, a counseling coordinator from ASPIRE. "It helps us break the ice so we can talk about serious business."
Lavonne Simpson, producer of Showcase for Learning, said about 3,000 people applied to win the two $2,000 scholarships, which would be announced at halftime during the Homecoming game.
"We've done our best to support athletics and get everyone out to the game," she said.
Simpson said they had been working on the event for a whole year, coordinating the different departments and programs.
"A lot of students were saying they wanted to come to SJSU as a result of Showcase for Learning," she said.
Mike Adams, the chairman of the television, radio, film and theatre department, emceed the event by going around with a microphone to various departments introducing their programs.
"I think it is good that we do this for the community that may not necessarily know about SJSU," he said. "This is a way of putting a human face on SJSU."
Adams, who has been the KSJS adviser for 15 years, said attendance seemed to be lower than last year when the floor was packed and people were shoulder to shoulder.
"Those who came got more quality time at the booths though," he said.
As the event came to its end around 1 p.m., Simpson gave a final speech and thanked everyone for attending.
"I think it was very successful. At least 3,000 people were here today, and more than 1,500 yesterday," she said. "We know everyone had a good time."
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