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High School Students Set To Experience The Arts At OU

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On Monday, Oct. 8, high school students from around the region will fast-forward a year or two to experience a day in the life of an Ohio University fine arts major. 

This is the third year for Experience the Arts Day, hosted by the College of Fine Arts to reach out to students interested in art, music, dance and theater.

The day starts with a short performance from each of the college's four schools. Students then have the opportunity to sit in on classes during the day.

Each school will have a tour, information session or question and answer session with specific information on auditions, portfolios and applications.

Tours of Lincoln Hall, which houses the fine arts Residential Learning Community, and an admissions tour of the campus will wrap up the day.

Throughout the day, the high school students will have the opportunity to interact and talk with Ohio University students, professors and faculty members to get a better sense of the school.

"It’s not something that is artificial; it’s the typical flow of the day," said Norma Humphries, assistant dean of the College of Fine Arts.

In past years, parents had attended classes. This year they will have their own session.

There will also be transportation provided to the Kennedy Museum of Art for parents to tour the facilities. By separating students from parents, the college hopes to give students a good sense of a typical routine day.

"The fact that they’re meeting real students who are in the major they’re looking at, I think is also important so they get a feel for the school," said Humphries.

Last year, nearly 125 students participated. This year, the college is able to accommodate up to 250 students and parents.

"We have more students come in that one day then what we see in an entire year in admission events," said Humphries. "They like the people they interact with, they like the students and they feel comfortable here. So they can really see themselves being a student here."

Sophomore music education major Jessica Lipscomb attended Experience the Arts Day and ended up deciding to attend Ohio University after the visit.

"Regular information sessions and tours offered through the University, though very helpful, do not dive in to the depths of the College of Fine Arts at all like Experience the Arts Day did," said Lipscomb. "After experiencing how friendly the atmosphere was, my already high opinion of Ohio University was strengthened even further and I was then about 99% positive that I wanted to attend OU and the College of Fine Arts."

For more information about Experience the Arts Day, visit www.finearts.ohio.edu/experience_arts.htm.