With displays ranging from pig’s lungs to music-making sand, departments at Weber State University presented their different majors to students for Major Fest. On Wednesday, tables filled the Shepherd Union Ballrooms to give students the opportunity to learn more information and find the best interests for their career paths.
“Hopefully we can increase their interest,” said Spencer Seager, a chemistry professor who has been teaching at WSU since 1961. “Most students are convinced they can’t handle chemistry, that they hate it . . . hopefully we can ease their mind a little bit.”
The respiratory therapy major booth demonstrated the expansion of the lungs using pig lungs. Melissa Bartlett, a senior majoring in respiratory therapy, said a lot of different people stopped to watch the demonstration.
“I’ve had a lot of variety of people come by, (who) just want to know, basically, what respiratory therapy is . . . we’re just trying to recruit more students to join the program,” Bartlett said. “It is a growing field.”
Thomas Root, director of the band at WSU, has participated in Major Fest for 15 years. He said that every year, the number of students in the band grows, especially after Major Fest.
“What I like about Major Fest is probably to meet students from all disciplines,” Root said. “But it’s also a good time for recruitment.”
Some booths were not monitored by faculty, department chairs or professors, but by students studying in the department.
Devin Benge and Ryan Wilcox, both seniors majoring in medical laboratory science, helped run the medical laboratory booth. They promoted the name and allowed students to come and observe the samples of red blood cells under microscopes, along with guessing the contents of a suspicious-looking jar.
Most of the booths were there to represent their departments and promote their names to incoming freshmen and undecided majors. Others were there to inform students about the alternative options they have in certain fields of study.
Craig LaRocco, administrator for the Study Abroad program, told students about traveling across the globe to countries like China, Costa Rica and Paris.
“I think the endgame would be that large numbers of students have that seed planted, that as a student at Weber State University, (they) know that they would go on a study abroad program,” LaRocco said. “The secondary outcome, I think would be, if they don’t do study abroad program, is that they try — at least spark some interest.”
Cory Moss, enrollment director for the health administrative services program, said that even though doctors and nurses are the most popular choices, other medical occupations have been filling up quickly.
“I don’t think we have any outcomes we expect. We don’t measure and monitor it. I think that the only thing we desire is to let those students know and be aware of, you know, other health care jobs besides becoming a doctor and a nurse.”
More information on different majors offered at WSU is available at www.weber.edu under the “Colleges & Departments” tab.
