Dr. Brent Tharp, director of the Georgia Southern University Museum, brought some culture with him to Friday's "Morning's unPHILtered" show.
      Tharp, who has a Ph.D. in American Studies from William and Mary, is also an adjunct professor of history at GSU.
      Tharp told host Phil Boyum that the museum is closed currently to rework the heating and air conditioning systems in the building, which was built in 1939. The tentative reopening is mid-June, but may be pushed back as late as July.
      He said when the museum does reopen there would be a series of exciting and fun exhibits to get people to visit.
      For the fall season, the museum will have an exhibit on Herpetology - the study of amphibians. Tharp said Georgia has one of America's most diverse amphibian environments and "it should be fascinating." He said the museum has an impressive research collection of specimens that will be on display.
      In the spring, he said that the museum would have an exhibit planned with the assistance of Dr. Michael Braz, GSU professor of Theory and Composition, which will focus on the musical traditions of the Coastal Plains.
      Tharp then talked about the 25th year of "Project Sense." The service, provided by the GSU museum, consists of more than 400 science project kits that are delivered to the schools. They include all of the necessary ingredients that allow teachers to put together interactive science lessons.
      Tharp said the GSU Museum van delivers the kits to some 25 schools all during the year. The museum offers training sessions for teachers, who can request and reserve the kits.
      There is also Project Best, which is a companion program that provides Social Studies kits to the schools for the teachers, allowing them to put together interactive lessons.
      Project Best kits have artifacts, reproductions, posters and maps. Tharp said that one of the most popular is one set of kits that includes a reproduction of Eli Whitney's cotton gin, which comes with the cotton.
      Switching gears, Tharp said he would be the keynote speaker Monday for the annual Memorial Day Observance at the Averitt Center for the Arts. He said he has been working hand-in-hand with the Bulloch County Historical Society to help preserve the history of Bulloch County veterans.
      He said Dr. Del Presley and Dr. Jim Bigley started a collection of World War II memorabilia on the 50th anniversary of the war. The collection was then donated to the museum. He said the collection includes medals, ribbons, uniforms and papers.
      For more information about the museum, its reopening, and the availability and requirements for reserving the Project Sense and/or Project Best kits, call the museum at (912) 871-1115.

"Mornings unPHILtered" airs live Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on statesboroherald.com and also simulcast on WWNS-AM 1240 on the radio. You also can listen anytime at BoroLive.com on statesboroherald.com