Talihina junior and senior GEAR UP students recently toured Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SOSU), “The Campus of a Thousand Magnolias.” Students were welcomed by University Admissions Counselor/Recruiters Baily Hendrickson and Shantell Boone. Students began their tour at the Glen D. Johnson Student Union. Hendrickson and Boone started the tour by speaking about different majors offered at SOSU and the application and admission process.
Students were then taken to the horseshoe-shaped campus area where most campus buildings stand. Students walked past Morrison Hall, the first building built on campus in 1910. It was located in the middle of what was then a peach orchard.
Students continued along the Magnolia–lined walkways past the Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library, Math Building, Fine Arts Building, and Russell Building which houses the John Massey School of Business. Students were given a brief overview of classes in each building and degrees offered at SOSU.
Students viewed a dorm room in Shearer Hall, the premiere living facility at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. The building houses more than 300 residents in apartment-style suites, with an adjacent outdoor volleyball court and a half-sized basketball sport-court. Most suites have four separate bedrooms surrounding a living room space and kitchenette, equipped with a full-sized refrigerator and built-in microwave.
The tour concluded at the Glen D. Johnson Student Union with an additional question and answer session.
The field trip was sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP. Participating schools take two field trips each academic year—one to tour a college or university and one that is cultural/educational in nature. In 2017, Eastern received a $17 million federal GEAR UP grant and serve over 3,000 students in 39 area schools for seven years.