Students Absorbed In Stopping Leaked Oil
A group of Cheney Middle School students is tackling a seemingly minor problem in their local environment.
For nearly six months, the school’s environmental symposium group has researched the effects of car oil leaked onto Cheney streets.
The five seventh-graders will take their knowledge east in May, when they will attend a national conference in Concord, N.H. Their presentation is titled, “Minor Spill, Major Problem.”
Maggie Fuqua, Emily Cunningham, Amber Teel, Floyd Cloke and Eric Dobbins have spent three nights a week working on their project since October.
“It’s been lots of time and effort,” said Cloke.
Students distributed more than 100 surveys around Cheney to get an idea of the amount of oil spilled every day in their city and then re-enacted that on a smaller scale.
“We picked a section of grass outside the school,” said Fuqua, “and dumped a third of a quart of oil in once a week in three different spots.”
The result? The spots of grass died. Looking under a microscope, students found the grass and roots still mixed with oil even after being thoroughly cleaned.
“I consider that hazardous,” said Cloke.
The students then looked into which materials would most readily absorb dripping oil. They sampled carpet, newspaper, cardboard and cotton before settling on carpet padding as the most efficient way to go.
“We found that the padding can absorb about 400 percent of its weight,” said Dobbins.
This discovery led to the invention of “grunge sponges,” 3-by-3 foot squares of carpet padding designed to be placed under a parked car. A local carpet outlet has agreed to donate materials for the “grunge sponges.”
The students hope to pass the sponges out at local gasoline stations and tire stores. They also plan to distribute brochures letting people know about the damage oil can cause to the environment.
“We’re just planting a seed to see if it catches on,” said Dobbins.
Wheelabrator Spokane Inc., which operates the trash incinerator west of Spokane, is a sponsor of the national symposium. Nineteen teams from across the nation will compete.
Cheney is the sole representative from Washington State.
The winning team will take home $2,000 to purchase a computer for its school.
Cheney senior wins scholarship
Cheney High School senior Nicholas Evans was recently named first runner-up for a scholarship contest at Johnson and Wales University, a well-known culinary school in Providence, R.I.
The second-place finish means he’ll receive a four-year scholarship totaling $16,000.
Evans was one of 10 finalists in the first National Outstanding Student Leader Competition. Evans was flown to the campus to attend an award banquet last Saturday.
Evans has served as a Washington state officer for the Future Homemakers of America, vice president of the school DECA program, editor of the Cheney High School yearbook and officer for the senior class. He has won numerous local and regional FHA awards.
Calling all Hamblen grads
High school seniors who once called Hamblen Elementary home are now eligible for a scholarship put together by the school parent-teacher group.
The $1,000 Hamblen Alumni Scholarship will be granted on the basis of merit using the criteria of grades, standardized test scores, school and community involvement, student essay and recommendations. The winning student must have attended Hamblen for at least grades 4 through 6 and must plan to enter a college or university in the fall.
For more information, students should contact their high school adviser, or call Hamblen at 353-5268.
Ham on Regal to take the stage
You’ll have your chance to check out the local talent pool during this year’s run of Ham on Regal.
The widely successful production, put on by Ferris High School parents and staff members, is celebrating its 35th season beginning next week.
The Ferris PTG is aiming to raise $47,000 from this year’s production. The money buys “extras” not covered in the regular budget, including CD-ROMS, video equipment and warm-ups for athletic teams.
Here are the show times, with all nightly shows costing $7 and matinees costing $5:
Sunday, March 15, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, March 18, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 19, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 20, 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 21, 2 p.m. and again at 8 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased at the Lincoln Heights Second Look Books or through the Ferris High School Business Office at 353-4400.
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MEMO: Education Notebook is a regular feature of the South Side Voice. If you have news about an interesting program or activity at a South Side school or about the achievements of South Side students, teachers or school staff, please let us know. Deadline is Monday. Write: Amy Scribner, Education Notebook, South Side Voice, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. E-mail: amys@spokesman.com. Call: 459-5439. Fax: 459-5482.