West Geauga High School students recently got a head start on real-life research and testing at NASA Glenn Zero-G Tower.
Testing Theories at NASA
West Geauga High School students recently got a head start on real-life research and testing at NASA Glenn Zero-G Tower.
As part of ongoing STEM programs, high school students participated in the expulsion challenge that was tested at NASA in the 2.2-second drop tower.
NASA scientists dropped submitted designs down a 500-foot chamber and provided video of the drop for the students. As part of the project, the students are also working on a research paper that will determine if they will be able to present their work at the 2018 American Society for Gravitational and Space Research meeting.
Said Rosie Fahey, one of the students on the team, “I learned a lot about the scientific process through this challenge. It’s not very often in high school you get to work with researchers, so getting their input on our designs and outcomes was super valuable. It certainly helped me understand why the scientific process is so important when you’re trying to find a solution.”
In addition to receiving the video from NASA, the students also met with scientists to discuss what they are researching, how they do it and the implications of their research. After the tour, the students got to talk to the researchers about their careers and enjoyed a visit to the SLOPE lab, where lunar conditions are simulated to test rovers and other vehicles.
Quilts Promote Learning
Charlene Frank, the grandmother of Westwood fifth-grader Elizabeth Frank, made a donation to the school library that is taking literacy and learning to the next level.
Charlene lives in Arkansas where they have a program that pairs up books and quilts to assist in learning.She provided three handmade quilts that accompany the books, “The Patchwork Quilt,” “The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom”and “The Quilt Story.”
The quilts that are hung in the Westwood library are featured in these stories.
Charlene not only made the quilts, but she donated the books so they could be enjoyed by the students who attend Westwood with her granddaughter.
Alum Serves His Community
A 2015 West Geauga graduate, Scott Habel, is serving our local community every day.
Now a Russell firefighter, Habel intentionally chose to work not far from where he went to high school.
“I chose to be a firefighter because it gives me a sense of purposeand I can help people who can’t help themselves. Every single day I see something different and it makes me feel like I’m contributing in the community where I grew up by assisting people at their lowest points,” said Habel.
Habel graduated in 2015 from West Geauga High School and immediately chose the life of a first responder. He became a cadet when he was 18. Working in Russell gives him the opportunity to not only see familiar faces, but also meet new people in the community.
Habel is surrounded by other experienced firefighters that keep the community safe.
He said, “Our Russell firefighters have decades of experience in both the medical and fire field, which is an enormous asset to both the area and new firefighters like me as they start their career.”
When Habel isn’t out on calls with his fellow first responders, they take time to conduct public education, which includes Boy Scout and Girl Scout troop visits to the station where they get a tour and learn about fire protection. The Russell Fire Department also teaches CPR and helps with smoke detector installs.
Habel’s long-term goals include starting paramedic school in August and taking a tech rescue program so that he can assist with rope rescues, water rescues and confined space rescues.
