College showcase of schools and centers at Night of the Open Door is 'a blast'
Hundreds of kids and adults spent their Friday evening on the downtown Phoenix campus of Arizona State University. The College of Public Service and Community Solutions was one of several colleges and schools that showcased its programs and centers with the community at the University Center Building and ASU at the Westward Ho.
A hands-on exhibit on by the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice showed the public how police lift fingerprints from evidence. Kids placed their finger on their forehead, then on a plastic glass. Staff took black dusting powder used at crime scenes to highlight the fingerprint, and tape to lift the fingerprint from the glass. Visitors got to keep their fingerprint along with souvenirs from the school.
“All the kids have really enjoyed this project,” said Brittany Cook, an academic advisor with the school. “They really like seeing how we can get a copy of their fingerprint. It’s been a great night.”
A line of kids could be found 25 feet away at a table staffed by student ambassadors from the College. Kids took turns spinning a wheel. It contained panels with the names of all of the college’s schools. Besides criminology and criminal justice, the College features the School of Public Affairs, the School of Social Work and the School of Community Resources and Development, which a girl’s spin just landed on. ASU junior Erin Delaney looked down at a list of questions and asked her how many undergraduate degrees are offered by the last school.
“One, two, three, four or five?” asked Delaney.
“Four!” said the girl.
The answer was five. Delaney didn’t have to look at her list to know that. She’s majoring in parks and recreation management. The school also offers degrees in community sports management, nonprofit leadership and management, tourism development and management and parks and recreation management with a concentration in therapeutic recreation. The girl still got a prize.
“Kids and adults are having a blast here and having such a fun time learning about the College and getting prizes,” Delaney said. “They like getting to know what goes on here and that this is a place they are welcome to visit or hang out.”
On the other side of the second floor Natalia Carvalho sits at a table decorating a hot air balloon. Her mother Maria sits nearby holding her five-year old son Andre, who is asleep. Her older daughter Isabella is taking in the artwork that is part of the College’s public art exhibit called “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.”
“I'm very proud to bring my children back to see what possibilities they have as they get older, said Carvalho, who earned her undergraduate and graduate degree in education from ASU. “They can see where I went to school, maybe not the same campus but the same university. And I want them to dream big and see what opportunities they have in front of them.”
The Night of the Open Door began on the Tempe campus of ASU as a way for the public to see and experience the fascinating research and work taking place at the University. Its popularity has grown as the event has expanded to the West, Downtown Phoenix and Polytechnic campus in Mesa.