Mini mythbusters

It's early - 8 a.m. - but there's already a buzz of excitement among the 80 children participating in the 2008 Kids in College day camp on Myth Busters.

The fourth- through sixth-graders are talking about the ghost tour they're about to take, speculating about whether they'll get to see an apparition. And, if they do, will they be scared?

The first- through third-graders are settling in for computer time before they head out to the planetarium at Muscle Shoals High School and their opportunity to explore the heavenly bodies in search of little green men known as aliens.

Missy Cupp, the cheerleader sponsor for the Muscle Shoals school system, is at the head of the bunch, blowing her whistle and reminding them about the rules for the day.

"We always have a good time," she said. "We've been to the planetarium before, but this is the first time we've done the ghost tours."

The focus of this year's Myth Busters camp was to help participants investigate the existence of the unknown, from noises we hear in the night to unidentified flying objects. Cupp said the goal is to teach kids how to prove or disprove these myths.

It's been 17 years since the Kids in College program began at the Muscle Shoals campus of Northwest-Shoals Community College, and the themes change each year, but the chance to pack some learning into the summer months remains constant.

Just ask Addison Grace Pace and Clay Inman, two 11-year-old campers who are veterans of the program.

"My favorite year was when we did the American Revolution," Pace said. "But, this has been fun, too. We've learned some pretty hard words, like paranormal, debunk and cryptozoology."

What was that last word?

"It's the study of hidden animals, like the yeti or Sasquatch," she said. "I'm still not sure I believe in ghosts, but I would like to see one."

Inman, likewise, remains a skeptic - the evidence still not enough to convince him that there may be life on other planets, much less ghosts haunting the older homes of Florence.

"I've never seen a ghost before, so I think that would be cool," he said. "But, my favorite part of the camp is still computer lab."

In addition to field trips, Cupp has built an educational component into the event. Students spend a portion of the day in the computer lab in the Department of Continuing Education learning about the topics being studied. There's also time spent in the college's gym as well as a craft each day.

She also said Kids in College has evolved as pop culture has made certain themes relevant and in demand among school-aged children.

"With the popularity of Ghostbusters, (Myth Busters) seemed to make sense this year," Cupp said. "But, we've also done a crime scene investigator camp, a camp on the Renaissance, because Florence is the Renaissance City, and we've even done a Civil War

re-enactment."

Michelle Rupe Eubanks can be reached at 740-5745 or michelle.eubanks@timesdaily.com.