Hannah Posson
hep001@marietta.edu
On Saturday November 5th, Marietta College students woke up at 5 a.m. to head to the Cincinnati Zoo for the annual Fossil-Fest. Students interested in geology and paleontology were accompanied by professors Wendy Bartlett and Veronica Freeman at this event.
Every year, experts gather with their fossils and prepare to show them to the public. Marietta students were proud to be a part of this.
“Being able to show off fossils that students here at Marietta actually excavated themselves just brings me so much pride.” says Geology major, Autumn Apgar-Neeld.
Marietta’s geology department collects their fossils on an annual trip to Utah, where they visit the Andrew Scott site to dig up the remains. In addition to dinosaur fossils from Utah, Marietta College students also brought fossils from around the Marietta area. The fossils are housed in the school’s geology annex.
In Cincinnati, Marietta College had their own exhibit that included fossils and interactive games for kids. The exhibit also had information about the college for prospective students. Most of the day was spent working the table and helping attendees to understand what the fossils can tell paleontologists, where they come from, and how they are found and transported.
“It’s exciting to talk to and introduce people to paleontology, something that has been a passion of mine since I held my first fossil as a child.” said Autumn.
Students were very thrilled to take part in this event because it showed how the programs at Marietta College thrive. The Petroleum Engineering and Geology department attracts many prospective students because they can see the benefits of the program.
Skout Barger, a freshman geology major, enjoyed the trip.
“This trip helped me to bond with my classmates and professors as well as solidify my decision to go into the geology department,” she said.
The all-day event was very successful for the Marietta students. Hundreds of curious attendees came through, giving Marietta College a chance to show the knowledge they have gained from professors and classes at the college.
Professor Veronica Freeman said, “For Wendy Bartlett and myself it is something educationally fun to do outside the building. It provides the opportunity for our students to not only teach others but also learn from other vendors at this event.
When students weren’t running their own exhibit they were attending lectures on an array of subjects and checking out other displays. Collectively, the students attending Fossil Fest said that an experience like this is unique due to the rarity of the fossils provided and the knowledge gained that could not be captured in a classroom.
