The School of Applied Studies celebrated its 30-year anniversary with an open house on Friday, Oct. 25. The public was invited to visit and take a tour of the facility. Refreshments were served.

The public was allowed to come in and take a tour of the facility. People were asked to visit each floor and stop in at all four departments to gain insight on the accomplishments of the past thirty years and learn about what is going on now.

“All of the degrees offered in the School of Applied Studies are professional degrees,” said Harrison Watts, Criminal Justice & Legal Studies professor. He explained the purpose of the School of Applied Studies. There are four departments: Allied Health, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Social Work. When an individual receives a degree in Applied Studies they can directly apply the degree to whatever it is that they are going to do.

Each department provided several different examples of the specialized programs the School of Applied Studies has to offer. At different stations billboards were set up outlining specific programs provided in the school. Free take-home information, such as flyers and magazines unique to the student groups and coalitions they represented were available. At different exhibits students showcased specific groups by giving presentations and answering questions about their organization.

On the third floor in the Human Resources Department, Shelby Fehrenbacher, junior psychology major, shared her interest in morita therapy. Morita therapy is “a holistic therapeutic system, practiced and taught internationally as a trans-cultural counseling approach” according to the school of applied studies website.

“We are trying to tell people what Human Resources is all about,” said Fehrenbacher. “There are a lot of examples in all the departments, and all of them have food which is always a good thing!”