Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Where play is work and work is play □ THE GAMECOCK Education at USC begins not with college students looking to prepare for graduate school and the job market, but with students looking forward to tying their shoes and learning their ABCs' The USC Children’s Center, part of the College of Education, offers education and care for chil dren ages 6 months to 6 years. Nancy Freeman, assistant pro fessor of early-childhood educa tion and research director and fac ulty liaison for the center, said the center’s purpose is to contribute to the university’s research and teaching missions and to serve children of families in the univer sity and the community. About 75 children are enrolled at the center, and they are divid ed into age groups, with infants in smaller classes than the toddlers and pre-kindergartners, Freeman said. Freeman said the center has been part of USC’s campus for about 30 years and serves as a “very high-quality early childhood and education” program. The Center helps train students and faculty in early-childhood and education fields. 1 “It provides a place for research to happen,” Freeman said. “It pro vides a population for students who are learning to be teachers of young children.” Freeman said USC undergrad uate and graduate students from a variety of disciplines — includ ing nursing, music education, art, physical education, marketing and engineering—use the Center. “Lots and lots of students throughout the university use it,” she said. “I would say that, in a typical semester, probably a cou ple hundred, at least.” The Children’s Center is not only a resource for the university, but also for the community. Freeman said state agencies use the center, including DHEC and Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College. “It’s a resource for the university and the (child-care) profession beyond the university,” she said. The Children’s Center, now lo cated on Whaley Street, will soon move to a newly constructed build •__:«11„ said. “They obviously need new fa cilities, and I’m delighted that they’re going to have them." Sorensen, who read “The Lion King” to a group of children at the Children’s Center Thursday, said the university is excited about the opportunities the new facility will bring. “We’re very excited about it,” he said. “We’ll combine research with this program, and it’s going to be a terrific, exciting program.” Sherry King, interim director of the Children’s Center and an in structor there since 1986, said the program’s research aspect is im portant. “USC always — especially President Sorensen — promotes research training; this is a re tailored for the program. “Where we are now is the temporary home that we’ve been in for about five years,” Freeman said. In early February, the Center broke ground on what will be a $4.1 million building, she said. USC is part nering with Gateway Academy, South Carolina Health and Human Services, Head Start, and the PHOTO BY TRISHA SHADWELL/THE GAMECOCK F vqn Mager, a sociology Si-Jent, helps Jazz Mayo, 5, while friend Lucjan Covington, 5, looks on. ing center,” King said. “It’s so important to help children develop think ing skills and all different so cial skills and academic and cognitive de velopment. You need to start early, and as a research university, you need to be up front to sup port the re search center.” More than the research, though, King says she loves her work be cause she can interact with children. “I just enjoy tirnrltirio Vtaro ” Education Department to build the state-of-the-art facility on Wheat Street. The building, named the Gateway USC Child Development Research Center, is expected to be complete by September. “It’s a wonderful program,” USC President Andrew Sorensen she said. “To be able to let me put a lot of research theory into practice and be appreciated, that’s some- J thing, nothing more than a teacher could ask for.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail. com r ; <. 1 • H / - Run-offs for Student Body President April 3rd & 4th **To vote, access vip.sc.edu, click on the "Personal" tab and go to Student Body Elections.** View the candidates and their platforms at: www.sg.sc.edu/candidateview.htm prior to voting^ ' \ \ ^ | Election Results will be a announced on the 3rd floor lobby of the Russell House April 4th at 6:00pm. Inauguration will be on Wednesday, April 16th at 3:00pm in Rutledge Chapel. Special Thanks to the Candidates, Election commissioner Brooke Vickery, Attorney General Brook Bristow, the staff of Student Government and Elections Commission all those who participated in campaigning or voting. Chief of Staff, Jessica Steadman, would like to remind the Student Body that time is running out to apply for a spot on the University Committees. Who doesn't want the chance to give advice on the parking problem or safety issues or have a say in which students and faculty members receive some of USC's top awards? Go now to the Student Government Office in the basement of the Russell House to pick up your application or find it at www.sg.sc.edu! Completed applications are due by 4:00 on Friday, April 4th in the SG Office. Want to find out more about what’s going on in Student Government? Please visit us at www.sg.sc.edu! Student Government exists to act as a liaison between the students and the administration of the University of South Carolina. * j GREAT CARS! GREAT RATES! 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