Middle-schoolers get a taste of college

When Donte Taylor, a Tilden Middle School sixth-grader, was asked what he thought professors look like, he responded, "I don't think the professor will look like Einstein," instead imagining that most college instructors would wear glasses and a suit. Taylor and 14 other West Philadelphia students from Tilden were recently treated to a day at Penn, courtesy of the Communiversity Days program. Communiversity Days brings 15 youths from the West Philadelphia community to Penn and matches them up with students for the day, according to Glenn Bryan, the University's director of community relations. It "provides them with a view of college life from a Penn student's perspective," he said. This year is the fourth year that the program has been running. The purpose of the program is "to expose middle-school kids to a Penn environment" to "try to get them before they get into high school," according to College senior Pete Gutherie, who works for the Office of Community Relations.The program essentially serves as an "admissions recruitment tool," Bryan added. Every month, members of different campus groups are paired with the middle school students. In the past, students from such groups as Kite and Key, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Delta Upsilon Fraternity and Dubois College House have hosted the students. This month, the Undergraduate Assembly served as hosts to kick off the program for the academic year. College sophomore Melanie Leibner and College junior Mike Silver, co-chairs of the UA's West Philadelphia Committee, said that the UA is going to try to get different groups involved in the program. Yesterday's program began with a gathering of UA members and students from Tilden in a conference room of the Mellon Bank building. Paulette Adams, administrative assistant for the Office of Community and City Relations, welcomed the sixth-graders and asked them to raise their hands if they planned on going to college. Every hand went up. Sixth grader Mya Levister was interested in going to theatre classes. She said that she thought that there were probably going to be "a lot of hard things to learn" in college. The UA members were enthusiastic about the opportunity to acclimate the sixth graders to University life. "So this is college, my friend," explained Wharton junior Ryan Robinson to a Tilden student. College sophomore John Buchanan wanted to "show [the students] the benefits of college," while Robinson hoped to be able to have the chance to "have an influence on a kid who's about to decide whether or not to come to college." After attending a class and eating lunch at 1920 Commons with their hosts, the Tilden students stopped at the Admissions Office to learn what they need to do in high school to prepare for college, according to Gutherie. Once the day is over, Communiversity Days does not end for the youths because, as Bryan explained, they are invited back to the campus and put on a list, so that they can be advised about future events. Next month, the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority will be sponsoring Communiversity Days.