Saturday's Internet Edition, 11:31 PM, July 4, 2009.
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| Rodeo Queen Jacque Ojeda.... Van Horn’s AJRA Rodeo Queen Jacque Ojeda proudly rides into the rodeo arena with the American flag to start the final session of the rodeo last Saturday eveninng. 4-H spokesman reported that this year’s event was well attended and fans seemed to really enjoy the rodeo. |
- The Boys and Girls Clubs of Rural West Texas is sponsoring the Pepsi and NFL sponsored Punt, Pass & Kick event here in Van Horn this year.
This event will take place here on July 11th at 9 a.m. at Eagle Field. The deadline to enter this event is Thursday, July 9th.
The Punt, Pass & Kick event is open to kids between the ages of 8 and 15.
If you have any questions or want to submit your application, please give Jaime a call at (432) 284-1302, or Rafael at (432) 284-1700.
Then be ready to get into the action on July 11th!
Local students in Sul Ross’ 10th year Upward Bound Program
by Jason Hennington, News Writer
For the past 10 years, Sul Ross State University’s Upward Bound program continues to prepare students for college by exposing them to the college life experience.
Serving students from Marfa, Van Horn, Presidio, Alpine, Terlingua, Balmorhea and Fort Stockton, Upward Bound is one of the federally funded TRiO programs, and is aimed at educating students and encouraging them to attend college.
During the program Upward Bound students attend classes at Sul Ross for six weeks, and seniors coming out of high school, known as bridge students, are given the opportunity to take college courses on campus. There three bridge students and 21 non-bridge students participating this year. Non-bridge students take a variety of classes including math, English, and a foreign language.
“Last year they took French, this year they’re taking Spanish,” Vega said.
Students also take Technology Training with Dr. Daniel Vrudny, associate professor of Industrial Technology. During this class students study photography, welding, and some wood cutting.
“They’re fun and I love doing it,” Vrudny said. “They enjoy doing this stuff.”
At the beginning of the class, the students were given a tour of the Industrial Technology building and completed a survey about what classes interested them.
“Every one of them wanted to do photography, and very few of them have done some in the past,” Vrudny said. “Some of them wanted to try some welding and wood cutting, too.”
It was an easy decision to add photography to the curriculum because it is the least dangerous of the choices. At the end of the photography part of the class, Vrudny will let students vote on their favorite photos. He insists that he will not vote, giving the students the opportunity to make their own choices.
“ I’ll let the class decide, because they think differently than I do,” he said.
Along with photography, students have formed small groups and sampled welding and wood cutting. They also have worked on a number of problem-solving exercises, including Rube Goldberg exercises.
“They are doing a lot,” Vrudny said. “It will get them thinking on their own instead of telling them what to do. It lets them be creative.”
Problem-solving exercises include moving a marble across a table to an exact point and paper plane creation along with flight measurement. Everything the class participates in is graded on a point system created by Vrudny. The students accumulate points throughout the class with the success of their activities.
“I’m doing everything on a point system, and at the end I’m going to give a prize,” Vrudny said. “It’s just to give them an incentive to do well.”
Last year Vrudny taught Technology Training, which included computer graphics and some photography.
“Dr. Vrudny gets them outdoors,” Vega said. “He is always thinking of what he can do with the Upward Bound students. He does a great job with them.”
Vega is pleased with the idea of students being able to get outside and learn.
“New teachers are trying new things like outdoor learning,” she said. “I’ve been pushing for that since I was a teacher.”
Other Sul Ross faculty involved with Upward Bound are incorporating outdoor learning into their curriculum.
Along with exposing students to a variety of classes, Upward Bound allows students to visit places they might not be accustomed to in the West Texas area. The program has taken students to Fort Stockton to bowl, Balmorhea State Park, Fort Davis, and other stops..
At the end of the Upward Bound program, the students will visit San Antonio. Students will experience an IMAX movie, “The Alamo…The Price for Freedom,” explore downtown San Antonio, the River Walk, go river rafting, visit the zoo and aquarium, Natural Bridge Caverns and Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
“I try to expose them to what they don’t normally see at home,” Vega said. “It’s not just educational, but has social opportunities. This helps them to fit in better at more prestigious colleges.”
Although the students will have fun and go on trips, the main concern is to educate them and encourage them to go to college.
“We try to make sure they graduate high school,” Vega said.
Upward Bound has been a successful program every year, and continues to show how students are benefit. Five students, Brian Ritchenson and Briana Sweeney, Terlingua; Tony Moralez, Alpine; and Isaiah Rodriguez and Alex Virdell; Van Horn, attended the National Student Leadership Congress in Washington, D.C.
Beverly Rivera, Jacqueline Grado, and Rosalia Corrales, all from Van Horn, attended the University of North Texas Upward Bound Math and Science conference, although five were accepted. They were among the 50 students who were chosen from a nationwide group of Upward Bound students. Four students, Anibal Galindo, Presidio; Chelsea Willard and Brian Ritchenson, Terlingua; along with Stephen Sandoval, Alpine, were chosen to attend the University of Texas Arlington Upward Bound Math and Science conference this year.
“I’m really proud of the achievements of these students,” Vega said.
