Southeastern Louisiana University

Loranger High Students get taste of college science

Contact: Rene Abadie

11/1/10

1) Southeastern student Amber Bordelon works with Loranger High students Nathan Robinson, left, and Matt Barry on a demonstration involving shaving cream and food coloring.

2) Rhett Allain, associate professor of physics at Southeastern, prepares to perform a demonstration of gravitational principles using balanced cups of water for Loranger High School students visiting the university recently.

     HAMMOND – Seniors at Loranger High School got an up-close look at college level science courses Friday (Oct. 29) when they visited Southeastern Louisiana University.
     Sponsored by Southeastern students involved in SEAL – an acronym for Student Entrepreneurs as Active Leaders – the program allowed the students to sit in on science classes, meet personally with university science students and faculty, and participate in scientific demonstrations.
     The intent was to ensure the area students are aware of the science opportunities at the university as well as increase their interest in science in general, explained Southeastern student Amber Bordelon, president of the SEAL organization. SEAL allowed the creation of a student-managed, faculty-supervised non-profit corporation that provides scientific and technical services to area industries. In the process, students gain the valuable experience of doing practical research and working directly with industry representatives.
     Maria Kinney, who teaches chemistry and physics at Loranger High, said the experience was great for her students.
     “It was a great opportunity for the students to meet some of the science students at Southeastern,” she said. “The faculty demonstrations were very interactive, and they kept the presentations interesting. The students had a lot of questions about the science programs that they were able to have answered, and a number are very interested in Southeastern’s SEAL program.”
     Bordelon and other members of the SEAL organization also participated in Super Science Saturday in Baton Rouge, sponsored by the LSU Department of Chemistry and the Baton Rouge chapter of the American Chemical Society. The event included hands-on chemistry and science exhibits for all ages.