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Reflections from Anderson High School JAG Students on their visit to Flagship

On the 28th of February, the JAG class at Anderson High School took a field trip to Anderson University. The following week on the 3rd of February we went to the Flagship. Both trips were educational yet fun. They made you think about your future and what you want to do in your life.

The Anderson University, located near Scatterfield Road [by the old Park Place Elementary], is a Christian based college. While attending there for a few hours I enjoyed myself to the fullest. They took us on a view of the campus and they also allowed us to participate in a CSI type class. We got to study different DNA’s, understand what DNA is, and my absolute favorite catch the “bad guy”. When all the “work” was done, we had the chance to eat. The food was good and I was very well pleased.  I also enjoyed their café. It made me think, Anderson University doesn’t sound that bad!

On the 3rd of February 2010, we visited the Flagship off of I-69. We got the chance to tour the building and hear from many different inventors. The first person to speak was Todd Rimer. He was very enlightening. He told us the truth about the real world. He told us how it’s hard, but if will pay off in the end. The second man to come up was named Pete Bitar. His inventions were amazing, although one of them scared me! :] I enjoyed him. He spoke and told us that if you are committed things can be achievable. After we had lunch we went to the Purdue part of the building. There we got to create a lever type building that could hold marbles. Although my group came in third, it was a great opportunity. It taught us teamwork and creativity skills. From that room we moved into another one where we got to open up computers. This was by far my favorite. I enjoyed taking the pieces apart and then putting them back together. It was fun, but it made you pay good attention so you wouldn’t mess up.

Both places were amazingly fun and I would love to do it again. I would recommend Anderson University to anyone. The Flagship I recommend they visit also. Two things I’ve learned from both places are: One, nothing is impossible if you commit. Two, you won’t know until you look for yourself. 
By: Paris, Anderson HS

As excited as I was about getting out of school for a JAG fieldtrip, I had hoped it wouldn’t be too dull. Before the trip, I figured AU would be all conservative women preaching about Jesus Christ. Flagship, I pictured boring old men talking about business related thins I couldn’t care less about.

I had never actually toured a college campus with my education in mind. But Anderson University has so many unusual resources. They have a huge workout facility, and a great sports center. We toured their campus radio station, which was cool but not really my interest. We had a mini Biology session where we played forensic scientists and used DNA to determine who a culprit in an imaginary crime was. The staff and few students we met with at AU were very nice, and seemed genuinely happy to be there.

The Flagship blew me away, though. At first we just sat and listened to people talk, it was starting to bore me. Just as my attention was fading, Pete Biter pulls out a suitcase, plugs it in, and a lightning bold erupts out of it, buzzing like mad. It shocked me back to reality, and then I became interested. It seemed like they really tried to interest us. My favorite part by far, was the computers part. We disassembled and reassembled an actual computer. Handling it was exciting.

Both of these field trips blew me away. I had a great time at both places, and I definitely recommend visiting and touring both areas.
By: DeAnna Petry

On our first JAG field trip, we visited the Flagship Enterprise for a tour of the building. Owners of two small businesses located in the facility, talked with us about their companies and we participated in interactive projects with professors from Purdue University. We learned about inventions and worked on HTML web formatting in the computer lab. I learned there are opportunities out there for me.

The highlight of my trip was when Tammy Rimer of Community Networks talked to me. We discussed an excellent opportunity for me to receive mentoring. My experience was great!

For our second field trip, we visited Anderson University for a tour, talks, and participation in excellent cold case projects. The criminal case project was especially fun because we got to do hands-on activities and learn about DNA and paternity testing. I learned quite a bit about identifying DNA and how paternity is determined.  We toured the dorms and saw the workout facilities in the Wellness Center. I learned the rules that must be followed when attending the University and I learned that they have great food! Overall, the experience was great. I enjoyed the tour guides, the food, the facilities, the students, and especially the art department! It was a great opportunity.
By: Tonee Smith