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    The Geoscience lab has an unusual feel, with dinosaur skulls, bones, rock and minerals all around.

            In the geosciences study lounge located in E-210, students have the opportunity to go over materials in a hands-on type of way, whether it is pulling samples of different rocks, minerals, and landforms.

It is apparent that the lab is less high-tech than the rest of the division labs on campus, but it still offers tutors to help with questions, textbooks, and space to study, and access to a few computers. For additional computers, students may use the geoscience computer lab, which is located next door in E-220.

As students Andrew Taisley, criminology, and Evan Sussman, psychology, work together on identifying different rock forms, Instructor Rhea Presiado sits in her office with her door open ready to assist them if needed.

Instructors Martha House, Ling O’Connor, Elizabeth Shadman, Bryan Wilbur and Presiado all have their offices located inside the geosciences lab which comes in handy for students to have their instructors near by to get additional help.

“Students primarily use the tutors if they are available, and when they are not, student’s will ask faculty,” said Presiado.

The instructors get to show off their personalities on the tack boards that they personally decorate outside their offices. House, has a newspaper comic strip cut out of a child taking a geology test reading, “Name the three types of rock; (the child answers) classic, punk, and hard.”           

“Instructor Givens makes rocks feel cool,” said student Sussman. “He teaches in a really nice and funky way that entertains you.”

The geosciences lab has a cozy, neighborly feeling where one group of students can easily ask those at the table next to them for help. Just as Taisley and Sussman did, when they had trouble identifying a rock Taisley didn’t hesitate to ask the group next to them.

“This is the first assignment we have been able to work on outside of class [where we can use the samples from the lab],” said Taisley.

The lab has two geology tutors and one geography tutor who takes turns assisting students, but for the most part the students that come in can always go to the lab technician in E-215 to help with any of the locked up equipment.

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