MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —
One student flew from Colorado. Most of the high school students came from
Tennessee. The rest came from surrounding states in the South and Midwest.
With sunny, mid-70 degree weather prevailing outdoors for
Presidents’ Day when most were out of school for the holiday, nearly 640 people
attended the MTSU Honors College open
house Monday (Feb. 20).
For prospective students, the Honors College fosters the
academic excellence and nurturing environment of a small, select, private
liberal arts college within the setting of a major university. It also provides
expert faculty, unique curricular and extracurricular experiences and
“Collage,” an award-winning arts and literary magazine.
Attending a mock trial demonstration by MTSU students for
the roomful of visitors and their parents, Cate
Farone “loved it (courtroom atmosphere). If I come here, I’m definitely
going to be on the mock trial team.”
Farone, 18, of Murfreesboro, is a Father Ryan High School
senior. Monday marked her “first official college visit,” though she has
literally grown up with parents — researchers and faculty members Tony and Mary Farone — who each have worked more than 20 years on campus.
Cate Farone has been awarded a Buchanan scholarship, the top
award an MTSU undergraduate student can receive, by the Honors College.
“Coming today, I definitely want to come here,” added Cate
Farone, who had an opportunity to talk with senior Connor McDonald, Student
Government Association vice president and political science major — the field
she wants to pursue. “He was very interesting and helpful. I want to be a
lawyer and he told me about the law school process.”
Visiting with her mother Zeinab Ali, Antioch High School senior Sunaya Ali of Nashville said she “didn’t know what the Honors
College had to offer and details regarding the thesis,” she said.
Ayuub Ali, an
older brother, is a junior majoring in business in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. Sunaya Ali, 18, said she is
undecided on a major.
Making his first visit to campus and alone because his
parents work schedule prevented them from coming, Juan Escobar, 17, another Antioch High senior from Nashville, has
received a Provost Scholarship, but he’s “looking at a couple of options (with
other schools),” he said.
“I met a friend (Natenael Belete) who used to go to my high
school,” added Escobar. “He told me some good things about it (the university).
The Honors College has smaller classrooms, giving you a sense of community.”
Farone said she liked “how diverse it is here,” referring to
people from “different backgrounds and parts of the country and the world coming
together at MTSU.”
Honors College Dean John
Vile was more than pleased with the turnout.
“The Student Union ballroom was filled,” he said. “It’s been
a great day.”
Admissions joined the Honors College in hosting the event.
All of the university’s colleges, Housing and Residential Life and the MTSU
Parent and Family Association shared information with the visitors.
The visit
included tours (library, aerospace air traffic control, recording industry,
Center for Innovation in Media, electronic media communication mobile
production lab and more), “mad science” physics and mock trial demonstrations
and option to attend the spring Honors Lecture Series (“Rhetoric in
Contemporary Culture,” with Keel Hunt
of The Strategy Group, who brought “Political Speech: How Candidates Win and
Leaders Lead” to the classroom).
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