DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Provides Kids With a Priceless Moment
12/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Dec. 1, 2010
Bluetube: Field Trip Day
CHICAGO - They came from all parts of the city, several thousand school children all wide-eyed and charged up about their opportunity to attend a class called DePaul Women's Basketball 101.
They gathered at McGrath Arena and warmed up a cold and wintry Wednesday with their screams of encouragement in DePaul's 100-83 victory over Illinois State.
This annual event known as "Field Trip Day" is DePaul's way of reaching out to children and providing them with a glimpse of college life.
"This is unbelievable," said Antoine Drink, a teacher at the Hendricks Academy on the South Side. "We never get anything for free. DePaul gave us such an opportunity with free buses, free T-shirts and free admission.
"My initial reaction was: `This can't be true.'"
Bernika Green had a difficult time on her way to Lincoln Park.
"This morning as we were boarding the bus, there were all these children grabbing at me and begging me to take them along," said Green, a teacher at Esmond School on the South Side."It was heart-breaking.
"I wish I could have brought them all instead of just a few from each class. I would have brought all 400 kids in my school if I could."
It was DePaul Athletics Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto who increased the funding to allow for the 43 buses providing round-trip transportation for students from 23 schools.
"With DePaul's visibility in Chicago, we feel an obligation to reach out to the children in the community and expose them to what life would be like on a college campus," Ponsetto said. "Athletics is always a good draw. Kids love sports and can't always afford to see a Bulls, Bears or Sky game.
"Whether we have an impact on one or two or 300 or 400, we hope to introduce children to the possibility of going to college.
"There isn't a greater investment we can make than the education of a child."
Martha Williams is a counselor at the Crown Academy in the North Lawndale area. She was glad her students could see what life could be like outside of Lawndale.
"This is a phenomenal experience," Williams said. "DePaul is giving back to the community, and this opens up avenues for our children outside the North Lawndale area.
"The free busing is great because of all the cutbacks of funding in our schools. We have some hard times with a lot of poverty, a lot of parents not working and high drug infestation. DePaul is able to help our kids."
The students were so caught up in cheering on the Blue Demons, hanging out with DIBS the mascot and enjoying the in-game activities that they didn't realize DePaul's Keisha Hampton had finished with a career-high 30 points.
"A lot of my kids don't even dream about going to college," said Eyshon Salahuddin of Dewey School on the South Side. "Now, they're seeing something different.
"Just look at this atmosphere. The kids love the live music. There's cheerleaders here, and it's a different side of college they never thought about.
"Hopefully, this will open their eyes and they'll start to think: `I want this.'"
Salahuddin said that all of her talking points about the value of a college education doesn't compare to an experience like Field Trip Day.
"This is priceless," Salahuddin said. "It's something that is given to these kids, and that's rare. It's an eye-opening experience for them.
"When they're given hope that someday this is where they want to be, it's a priceless moment."
Just 24 hours after Michael Manning of the Chicago Public Schools External Affairs and Partnerships office put information about Field Trip Day into the CPS news bulletin, phones were ringing at DePaul.
"We are trying to show these kids that there is a chance for college in their future if they really believe in themselves," said DePaul administrator Dave Corzine who coordinated the event.
"Sports is a great way to expose kids to college, and it's even better that they learn this at a women's athletic event. It makes them aware that there are opportunities for women in sports as well as men."
DePaul coach Doug Bruno has been a career-long advocate of women's basketball.
"It was great to have the young scholars from the city of Chicago here in our gym," Bruno said. "When you work so hard to try and grow the game---I just can't tell you how cool it is to play in front of a packed house."
In this era of layoffs, cutbacks and deficit-denial, DePaul has chosen a different path.
"This event ties in with our mission to provide opportunities for first-generation college kids," Ponsetto said. "You want to plant a seed at an early age that if you get good grades, there's always the potential of coming to DePaul, or some other institution."
