MCTC/LVC students to host ‘Days at the Museum’ Nov. 9 and 10

By Donna Slone-Crumbie, MCTC-LVC
About five years ago I began teaching at the Licking Valley Campus of Maysville Community and Technical College.  
It did not take me long to recognize the connection between the college and the community. After becoming aware of this relationship, I decided to require my students to participate in some type of volunteering – we call it service learning – that will benefit the community.  
As time has passed, and my knowledge of the community has grown, I have looked for opportunities to participate in activities throughout the town.  
After a visit to the Cynthiana Museum, I was very excited by all the wondrous treasures that I discovered there.  
In my mind, the museum is one of Cynthiana’s best kept secrets.  
So, when it was time to devise a service learning project for my classes the next term, I decided to incorporate the museum. I did not know how my students would respond, but I decided to give it a shot.  
After reading the reflective essays about their trips to the museum, I was very excited because what I felt about the museum – love and admiration – they also shared.
Here are a few quotes from our students who visited the museum for the first time:  
“On Sept. 27 I was given the opportunity to visit the Cynthiana Museum. When I was first told about the project a few things ran through my mind.  First, I was  shocked that this small town even had a museum, and then my next thought was that I’ve been here almost a year and had not heard of the museum; and my final thought, I wondered what could they really have in this so-called museum. Much to my surprise, it was an amazing experience. A few things brought tears to my eyes,”  Candi Sloan wrote.
“I liked going to the museum. Does that make me a nerd? I enjoyed walking around and seeing all the different pieces of history about which I had not a clue,” stated Christina Reffett.
“On Wednesday, I went to the Cynthiana Museum. It was my first visit there and it was amazing.
“I did not know that this place was even here. The history that this small town has to offer someone who is visiting Cynthiana would make them come again.
“As I walked to my car that day I was still back in the history mode. I looked around and saw the people standing around talking to one another and the cars going up and down as if I was back in the olden days that I had just visited.

Licking Valley Campus students will be hosting “Days at the Museum” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Nov. 9 and 10. Pictured from left are: Mary Norbom, Angela Thacker and Candi Sloan.

“What an experience today has been for me. I told everyone about this little piece of history we have here in Cynthiana, Kentucky, and how proud it made me feel to be part of this town,” said Francie Hedges.  
“While at the Cynthiana Museum I was amazed to learn that early television sets had their images transmitted electrically by mechanical fax machines.” stated Tyler Lewis.
“Can you imagine Cynthiana hosting a barbeque where 20,000 people attended, a time when words describing this town were vibrant, bustling, affluent, exciting?
“These facts were some of the things I learned while visiting a wonderful time capsule called the Cynthiana Museum,” said Mary Norbom.
“The visit was very insightful and my research made it very educational,”  said Julie Wright.  
And the last quotation:
“When I went to the Cynthiana Museum I saw many things which were intriguing.
“Overall, my visit to the museum has shown me that long ago, even though no one had internet or television, there were still many wholesome ways for one to be entertained,” said Wyatt Cramer.
One of this year’s service learning projects will occur on Thursday, Nov. 9, and Friday, Nov. 10, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.  
At that time, the English 101 and 102 students will be hosting an oral history project at the Cynthiana Museum. If you have a story to tell, or if you just want to come sit a spell, or if you have never been to our museum, please come join us.