MCC TRIO TALENT SEARCH SUMMER 2014 TRAVELS

Madisonville Community College s Trio Talent Search participants from Crittenden, Hopkins and Muhlenberg Counties had a summer of fun educational travel opportunities. The middle school students had a day of learning and exploration at the Discovery Park of America on June 10 in Union City, Tennessee. Fifty Trio Talent Search participants experienced a simulation of the 1811-1812 Reel Foot Lake earthquakes, visited the Starship Theater and had a guided lesson of the 1880 s Settlement. Students made friends from other schools as they discovered favorite areas of the park which included the metal human slide, tower and maze, a polar bear, the cloud maker and NASCAR display. Several explored the rail car kitchen, walked through the covered bridge, checked out the apple press and rang the church bells.

The TRiO Talent Search high school participants kicked off their summer trip with a campus tour of Rhodes College, a liberal arts college in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee. The students found it fascinating since the Collegiate Gothic architecture reminded them of the Harry Potter movies. A local guitarist shared Memphis history through stories and songs on a bus tour. At the Center for Southern Folklore, the group was treated to a southern-style meal and a trio of blues musicians who shared the history of American music. Oxford Mississippi, home of the University of Mississippi, was the destination for the second day. After a guided tour of the city and a trip to Rowan Oak, the home of William Faulkner, the group toured Ole Miss and then headed to downtown Oxford. Arriving back in Memphis, they visited the Peabody Hotel to watch the famous march of the ducks, explored Beale Street, dined at Central Barbecue and wrapped up the evening with a ghost tour around the city. The trip concluded with a tour of the National Civil Rights Museum which included a wealth of information about the Civil Rights Movement and a viewing of the actual motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.

Trio Talent Search is a federally funded program for middle and high school students who meet eligibility requirements and have the potential to graduate from college. The program is located at Madisonville Community College and serves middle and high school students in Crittenden, Hopkins, and Muhlenberg Counties. Program staffing includes Marcia Evans, Staff Support Advisor; Wes Ausenbaugh, Corey Downey, Casey Johnson, Advisors; and Anna Leasure, Director.