Homecoming activities offer fun for kids

October 11, 2007

The 2007 ASU Homecoming celebration offers attendees the opportunity to show children that a college campus can be one of the best places to have fun and learn at the same time.<separator></separator>During the week of Oct. 21-27, dozens of ASU departments will offer activities designed to entertain and educate future Sun Devils.<separator></separator>The Homecoming Parade will be among the main activities for children to enjoy, but it is not the only one. Children who come to this celebration will get a chance to pick and choose from the many activities available to them.<separator></separator>One of the most popular activities for children to enjoy during the ASU Block Party is “Ask a Biologist.” The program, part of the ASU School of Life Sciences, gives children and adults the opportunity to get answers to their biology questions, from global warming to flesh-eating bacteria and everything in between.<separator></separator>ASU academic professional Charles Kazilek, better known as “Dr. Biology,” says that coming to events such as Homecoming is entertaining and also serves a more important purpose for the children who participate.<separator></separator>“Many children see school as boring, but when they get to participate in activities where they see learning as fun, they change their attitudes toward school, get the opportunity to think about a college education and what they want to study when they grow up,” Kazilek says.<separator></separator>During the Block Party, members of the ASU School of Life Sciences will have various exhibitions and will answer questions from the public. The fun does not end with “Ask a Biologist.” The characters from the popular PBS Kids program “Maya and Miguel” also will be present. The 10-year-old twins appear weekday afternoons on Eight/KAET-TV, the public television station on ASU’s Tempe campus. They will greet children and pose for photographs.<separator></separator>“Maya and Miguel are a good example of the new cartoon characters coming from PBS Kids,” says John Menzies, creative service director for Eight. “They entertain – and, at the same time, provide children with an educational component. It is important for the public to know that these shows are created to enrich the minds of children.”<separator></separator>To find more information about Homecoming, the Block Party and other children’s activities, visit the Web site <a href="http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/ASASU/homecoming/index.html">www.asu… Elektra Sanchez, (480) 965-9579 ASU Media Relations

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