NATCHEZ &045;&045; A classroom assignment turned into a summer day trip for a group of Natchez High School students.

Members of Angela Brooks’ and Francis Doss’ classes got up with the sun Wednesday morning to head to Jackson. The students spent most of the day recording their writings with Rural Voices Radio. The readings will later air on Public Radio Mississippi. Rural Voices Radio, sponsored by the Writing and Thinking Institute, chose the students’ works after Brooks submitted them to the project.

&uot;It was an extension of a regular assignment,&uot; Brooks said. &uot;They could pick any memorable experience that they had as a child that was particularly characteristic of living in Mississippi.&uot;

Brooks assigned the project after the class read &uot;Coming of Age in Mississippi.&uot; Doss’ students wrote their own composition titled &uot;I am from Mississippi.&uot;

English III student Tyrone Collier, 18, wrote about playing on his uncle’s farm as a child. &uot;Throwing rocks at horses, running around the stable and racing around the house,&uot; Collier said. &uot;I’m very excited, not too many people in Natchez get to be on the radio. It’s going to be a great experience.&uot;

Brooks said she was happy with the variety of stories the students turned in.

&uot;Each person turned in pretty different experiences, depending on if they lived in the country or city,&uot; Brooks said. &uot;It gives them some exposure and highlights some things that are characteristics of growing up in Natchez.&uot;

Sixteen students were chosen for the program. They spent the day Wednesday taping their readings to be aired later on in the summer. The students also received a CD of their readings. No date has been set for airing.

as of yet. Public radio in Natchez is 88.9.