OTEGO _ Thanks to an energetic presentation by a former Hartwick College student, a group of Otego Elementary students stayed dry while exploring the waters around Cape Cod.
Jeff Croll attended Hartwick during the 1973-74 school year, before having to leave for personal reasons, he said. He went on to get degrees at other institutions.
But, "I consider Hartwick my alma mater," he said.
Through its experiential learning programs, "Hartwick gave me the inspiration to design my life," he said.
After years of experience in education, the 54-year-old is sharing his passion for the ocean and diving through his company, Deep Blue Discoveries, of Sandwich, Mass. Through programs like the interactive, DVD-based presentation, Croll takes students on an exploration of marine ecosystems, according to the organization's website.
With plans to attend Hartwick's alumni activities this weekend, Croll said he contacted the college's Office of Institutional Advancement, about his desire to give back to the community.
It put him in touch with Otego Elementary Principal Tim Ryan, who said the students in grades 3 to 5 were "captivated" by the 50-minute presentation in the gymnasium.
At the 12:30 p.m. program, Croll used a DVD and numerous props to lead the approximately 40 students on a "tour" of Pleasant Bay in Cape Cod.
When the video focused on eel grass, he had them wave their arms, as though the green sea vegetation was waving in the currents, while he talked about the environment. When a lobster appeared, he talked about the crustaceans that were among the many marine animals in the area, as he led the group in a lobster walk.
And in talking about the ways to protect the environment, he spread out plastic and asked the fifth graders to imagine what it would be like if that were their environment.
Several students said they enjoyed the show.
"It was fun," Ashley Taylor said. Jon Havens said he learned how to keep the ocean safe. He liked learning about all the different sea creatures and would one day like to dive in the ocean.
Samantha Stanley said it was fun learning how to protect the animals. She liked all the activities.
Fifth-grade teacher Karen Alvin said it was "motivating and energizing" for the students. This was an opportunity to see things that many otherwise may not experience, she said.
Croll said that this was his first such presentation in the area and he would do it again as a way of thanking Hartwick.
College spokesman Chris Lott said that Croll was a great example of the impact a Hartwick education.
"Close, personal interactions with faculty and staff are among the hallmarks of the Hartwick experience," he said. "We're proud of the positive force a liberal arts education supported by experiential learning has on our students and alumni like Jeff."
